GOP NLRB Cuts Would Lead to Backlog of 18,000 Cases

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/7158/gop_nlrb_cuts_would_lead_to_backlog_of_18000_cases/

Friday Apr 8, 2011 10:24 am

By Mike Elk

In Fiscal Year 2009, the federal government budgeted $515 million for sports fishing programs, but gave only $263 million to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the board with deciding workers’ rights violation cases—which frequently arise during union organizing drives.

For decades, it has been a point of contention among labor activists that the lack of funding of the NLRB has made the NLRB an agency unable to combat the massive assault on workers’ rights by big corporations.

While cuts to NPR and Planned Parenthood are the top priority for cultural warriors, the cuts to the already underfunded NLRB that the business community wants equally as bad. Earlier this year, the Republican led House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, a budget bill still under negotiations with the Democrat-led Senate and White House. H.R. 1 contains a $50 million cut to the budget of the NLRB's current FY2010 $283.4 million budget.

According to an independent analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the cut to the NLRB would force it to furlough its 1,600 person staff for anywhere from 58 to 64 days, depending upon how many workers are exempt from the furloughs. According to the analysis the cuts could have a wide reaching effect “a substantial reduction in work days would be dramatic.

Other NLRB activities that could be affected include Board decisions, remedies to ULPs , collection of back pay, and requests for court injunctions to stop ULPs, responses to public inquires, outreach, completion of financial and other reports, and other activities.” The National Labor Relations Board estimates this would increase their backlog by 18,000 cases.

FULL story at link.