I’m writing to ask you to fight for dramatically increased funding for the National Labor Relations Board.
I know that more than 140 members of Congress are asking for the same—they’re calling on House leaders to end eight years of flat funding for the NLRB, saying—correctly—that the agency isn’t equipped to handle a surge in workplace organizing at companies like Starbucks and Amazon.
In a letter to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, these lawmakers have warned that a “dramatic increase in labor activity” could swamp the underfunded board, which has lost roughly 30% of its staff since 2010 due to attrition and a lack of money.
They’ve called for a labor board budget of $368 million next fiscal year, a vast increase from the current level of $274 million, which hasn’t budged since 2014. The stagnant funding in recent years means the agency’s budget has gone down in real dollars.
A similar letter with the same $368 million proposal has been circulating in the Senate, led by Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo). Good!
As your constituent, I would like to know whether you have signed onto these letters. If not, I’d like you to. Unions and worker protections are incredibly popular with American voters—for good reason. If Congress fails to fund the Board responsible for bolstering them then we will have to change Congress. Period. Thanks.
First sent on April 27, 2022 by Jess Craven
