30 October, 2007AFL-CIO accuses the US National Labor Relations Board of "systematic efforts to deny workers' rights in violation of international labour standards"
USA: On October 25 the American Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) filed a complaint with the International Labour Organization's Committee on Freedom of Association. AFL-CIO claims that the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Republican majority of which is appointed by the US President George W. Bush, violates workers' fundamental rights.
According to the AFL-CIO, over recent years through its decisions the NLRB has:
- shrunk its coverage of certain workers;
- limited the rights of workers who are protected by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA);
- strengthened management's prerogative to discriminate against, harass, and intimidate workers; and
- refused to apply the "few meaningful remedies available" under the NLRA.
The AFL-CIO accuses the NLRB of eviscerating workers' fundamental rights during the course of the Bush Administration. According to the complaint the NLRB has removed entire groups of workers from the definition of employee including university teaching and research assistants, workers with disabilities, and temporary and contract workers.
In addition the AFL-CIO points out that substantial delays by the NLRB in issuing decisions further undermines workers' fundamental rights.
To correct the situation the AFL-CIO is asking the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association to direct the United States to "take all necessary steps to restore, in law and in practice, the rights of workers to have full freedom of association and engage in effective collective bargaining."