Tyler Prell, 202-730-7278
Issued July 16, 2013
SEIU's Henry on Senate NLRB Nominee Compromise:
WASHINGTON, DC - After a deal was struck among Senators to withdraw and replace two nominations to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Mary Kay Henry, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), issued the following statement:
We are encouraged that Leader Reid and moderate Republican Senators were able to reach an agreement on moving forward with executive nominations, particularly allowing an up or down vote on Tom Perez to be the next Secretary of Labor.
"Our top priority remains confirming a full National Labor Relations Board as soon as possible. We believe that this compromise, which will enable new nominees to receive up or down votes without obstruction in the Senate, is a step toward this goal. However, it is unfortunate that Sharon Block and Richard Griffin, two highly qualified nominees, were unfairly used as political pawns in the debate over Senate rules.
"There is still work to be done to ensure that the NLRB is fully functional. Without Senate action, the NLRB will cease to function at the end of August. Without a fully functional NLRB, workers are left with little recourse to recoup lost wages, get their jobs back or resolve other violations of our labor laws. Due to unresolved cases, thousands of workers are now waiting for justice - they deserve a fully functional NLRB. The Senate should move the President's new nominees to the floor as soon as possible."
###
Updated Jul 15, 2015