Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Tell President Obama To Fill The Vacancies On America's Labor Board Immediately!


Tell President Obama to fill the vacancies on America's Labor Board immediately!

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) – which is tasked with protecting workers' rights – needs five members to be a full, functioning board.

But since December 2007, the NLRB has only had two members. Now, obstructionist U.S. senators have refused to act to fill the vacancies.

That's right: It's been over two years, and the situation for workers in America is bleak. And things will continue to stay broken unless President Obama acts this week.

To make sure that happens, we need your help. Tell President Obama to use his authority and fill the NLRB now!

It seems that the President has cut a deal. He'll hold off on some of his nominees to key government posts – including two highly respected labor lawyers we desperately need on the NLRB – if it means other nominees can get through to Senate.

But with the Senate on recess this week, a deal isn't necessary. President Obama can simply appoint these nominees – Craig Becker and Mark Pearce – and give workers the protection they've gone so long without.

Tell President Obama: Enough with the deals – stand up to obstructionist senators and protect America's workers!

Our Constitution gives President Obama the authority to make recess appointments. President Bush did it all the time. America's workers can't wait any longer for Obama to use his authority.
For a full year, hostile senators have blocked or watered down nearly every key piece of legislation America's workers need – from the Employee Free Choice Act and healthcare reform, to creating good, green jobs and regulating the finance industry. And now President Obama has cut those same obstructionists a deal that leaves working families out in the cold.

In exchange for approving some of Obama's "less controversial" nominees – who they should have approved a long time ago anyway – they get to keep the NLRB understaffed and ineffective. It's just what the obstructionists want. And hasn't President Obama spent enough time playing nice?!

Tell President Obama: Enough playing nice! Make the recess appointments that working people need – this week!

Obama's NLRB nominees are well respected and highly qualified. Both have won broad support in the Senate. And we desperately need both to get to work on the backlog of cases before the NLRB.

Tell Obama: Let's stop the delays and get these nominees to work for working people!

Tell President Obama to fill the vacancies on America's Labor Board immediately!

Thanks for all you do to defend workers' rights.

- Manny, Liz and the American Rights at Work team

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