Republicans slam union rule change

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) said Monday he wants to stop a federal rule
change
by the Obama administration that could make it easier for railway and
airline
employees to form unions.

The National Mediation Board issued its final rule Monday that changed
how
workers could unionize at companies covered by the Railway Labor Act.
Originally, a majority of workers at a company covered by the law had to
vote
for a union while those not voting were counted as “no” votes.

Under the new rule made final on Monday, if a
majority of
workers who cast votes said they wanted to form a union, the company
would be
unionized. Workers who fail to vote will not count for either side.

Isakson said the board had no authority to make the
change,
which he described as an assault on employee rights.

“The National Mediation Board simply does not have the legal authority
to make
such a radical change without congressional authorization,” Isakson said
in a
statement. “With this rule change, a union could be permanently
recognized without
a majority of employees having ever supported representation.”

Isakson said he would look into using the
Congressional
Review Act to overturn the decision. The act allows lawmakers to oversee
and
overturn regulations issued by any executive branch agency.

The law is rarely used, and to overturn a rule
requires a
resolution of disapproval approved by both the Congress and the
president in
the few months after the rule is issued. The resolution cannot be
filibustered
in the Senate.

Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), the ranking member of the House Education and
Labor
Committee, also slammed the rule change, saying the board “imposed a
quick fix
at the behest of organized labor.”

The original rule was in place for decades. But the AFL-CIO said it was
undemocratic
and requested a rule change in September of last year. Business groups
had
lobbied against the change.