Washington, DC – The NAACP applauds the National Labor Relations Board for issuing a new rule to protect the rights of workers to vote and eliminate obstacles for employees wishing to form a union in their workplace.
“The NAACP is extremely pleased with today’s NLRB rule,” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “In a time where the rights of working families and union members are under assault, and corporations are using extreme tactics to discourage the formation of unions, the NLRB stood up for the hard working American men and women today.”
Under the current system, if working men and women wish to join a union they often experience exorbitant delays or never get to vote at all. The proposed rule change will reduce costs for employees and taxpayers and remove unfair obstacles in the election process. The new process will streamline pre- and post-election procedures and utilize technology to ensure accurate voting is reported.
The rule change comes in the midst of ongoing assaults on workers’ rights by governors and legislators across the country in an effort to strip public employees of their ability to collectively bargain and become members of a union.
“The NLRB’s new rule has the full support of the NAACP,” stated Hilary O. Shelton, NAACP Washington Bureau Director and Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy. “The right to vote, the right to join a union, and the moral right to have a voice in decisions that affect their work life is the pillar of our democracy and the NAACP stands ready to support the NLRB’s position.”
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
