Overnight Regulation: Sanders courts unions with labor bill

Welcome to Overnight Regulation, your daily rundown of news from Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Tuesday evening here in Washington.

Here’s what is happening.

THE BIG STORY

Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) unveiled sweeping new legislation Tuesday that will make it easier for workers to organize unions in a bid to endear himself to the labor community ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

“Our job is to make it easier for workers to join unions,” Sanders told dozens of cheering low-wage workers outside the Capitol building, “not harder.”

{mosads}”If workers in this country want to exercise their constitutional right to join a union, they must be allowed to do that,” he added.

The Workplace Democracy Act introduced Tuesday by Sanders would allow workers to organize a union through the controversial card check process, as opposed to holding a secret ballot election.

Card check allows employees to simply sign an anonymous card saying they want to join a union. Once more than half of a company’s employees sign the card, the union must be recognized, even without an election being held.

Labor advocates say this reduces the opportunity for companies to discourage workers from joining.

Currently, employees must hold a secret ballot election in order to form a union. This gives companies more time to make their case to employees against joining a union.

Many companies do not treat employees fairly during the organizing process, Sanders said. 

Half of all companies threaten to close or relocate if workers elect to join a union, while one in five employees who try to organize a union are fired, according to Sanders.

Sanders is also pushing separate legislation that would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and save union pension plans from becoming insolvent — two moves that could play well for him as he battles with Hillary Clinton for support from the labor community in the Democratic presidential primaries. http://bit.ly/1VCixld

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 230 new regulations, proposed rules, notices and other administrative actions in Wednesday’s edition of the Federal Register.

–The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will issue new protections for dusky sea snakes.

The dusky sea snake, along with three foreign corals, will be listed as endangered species. They all fall outside of U.S. jurisdiction.

The protections, which go into effect in 30 days, stem from a July 2013 petition from WildEarth Guardians. http://bit.ly/1Gv4X71

–The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will propose new protections for certain small fish often used as bait by fishermen.

The headwater chub and certain roundtail chubs would be listed as threatened species under the agency’s proposal.

The public has 60 days to comment. http://bit.ly/1OWDK5d

–The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will delay new safety requirements for railroads.

The FRA proposed a risk reduction program for certain railroads in February, but is reopening the comment period to give the public more time to consider the changes.

Under the proposal, railroads would be responsible for coming up with their own risk reduction programs.

The public has an additional 14 days to comment. http://bit.ly/1j5h7Om

–The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will allow truck drivers who may be prone to seizures to operate commercial motor vehicles.

The FMCSA is exempting 10 truck drivers who suffer from a history of seizures from requirements that would otherwise prohibit them from driving. In many cases, the drivers may have experienced only one seizure but have convinced the agency they are healthy enough to drive without incident.

The exemptions go into effect immediately. http://bit.ly/1OjkwVJ

NEWS RIGHT NOW

Cruz: Obama’s regulations hurting minorities. http://bit.ly/1Z8wUNz

Gun control push coming in Senate. http://bit.ly/1VCeSUv

Rubio calls for tax, regulatory reforms for on-demand economy. http://bit.ly/1FS5ANc

Fantasy sports scandal raises concerns in Congress. http://bit.ly/1NkBRiw

Senators dismiss tying conservation fund to chemical reform. http://bit.ly/1L56in5

Dem senators want to jail automakers who cover up defects. http://bit.ly/1FSqc87

GOP grills Energy secretary on oil exports. http://bit.ly/1OWFdZ2

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We will no longer tolerate CEOs who fire workers for exercising their constitutional right to form a union. We will no longer tolerate CEOs who threaten to move their plants to China or other low-wage countries, if workers vote in favor of a union,” — Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.).

We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://digital-staging.thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@digital-staging.thehill.com or lwheeler@digital-staging.thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and@wheelerlydia.

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