NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD DECISION STRIPS RIGHT TO ORGANIZE AND UNION PROTECTIONS FOR MILLIONS STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON KENTUCKY RIVER DECISION

Washington, D.C. -- A National Labor Relations Board decision today significantly expands the number of employees classified as “supervisors” under the National Labor Relations Act. In practical terms, the decision means that millions of working men and women across the country will no longer have the right to join a union or qualify for other protections under the Act, and will therefore be much more vulnerable to discrimination or unfair loss of their jobs. Senator Edward M. Kennedy issued the following statement condemning the Board’s decision:“At a time when working families are struggling hard to make ends meet and obviously are not receiving their fair share of the nation’s economic growth, the NLRB is rubbing salt in the wound. Instead of protecting the rights of employees, the Board is cutting them loose and denying them of their long-standing rights in the workplace. It’s an unfair decision, and if it’s not revised on appeal, Congress should step in and restore these important protections.” ###