House Committee Approves Job Protection Bill

The legislation prohibits the National Labor Relations Board from ordering any employer to relocate, shut down or transfer a business.

July 22, 2011

WASHINGTON - The House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved the Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act (H.R. 2587) yesterday, which would prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from ordering any employer to relocate, shut down, or transfer a business under any circumstance.

"Congress cannot be a willing accomplice in policies that stifle investment and undermine job growth. The public did not elect 535 idle spectators; they sent men and women to Washington with a mandate to make jobs a national priority," said Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN). "The Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act takes a critical step to provide employers with the certainty they need to put Americans back to work, right here at home."

Specifically, H.R. 2587:

  • Amends the National Labor Relations Act to prohibit the NLRB from ordering any employer to relocate, shut down, or transfer employment under any circumstance. This legislation eliminates an extreme enforcement remedy available to the board; more than a dozen alternative remedies remain available to hold employers accountable for unlawful labor practices.
  • Limits the NLRB??s authority in all cases that have not reached final adjudication before the board.
  • Fosters a positive environment for American employers to develop their businesses in the state that offers the best opportunities for growth and job creation.

House Republican Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) called H.R. 2587 "a critical, commonsense proposal to prohibit the NLRB from picking winners and losers on behalf of big labor." House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said the legislation "is necessary to rein in the authority of the NLRB, and prevent them from dictating where a private company locates its business."

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