After Murray, Democrats Raise Ethics Concerns, U.S. Labor Board Vacates Harmful Decision in Hy-Brand

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) issued the following statement on news that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) vacated its decision in Hy-Brand Industrial Contractors after NLRB ethics officials determined Member William J. Emanuel should not have participated in the decision.

As a result of vacating Hy-Brand, the Board’s earlier decision in Browning-Ferris Industries—which held that employers must negotiate collectively with the workers they control—remains the law of the land.

“I have consistently made clear that every member of the National Labor Relations Board should be squarely focused on ensuring workers’ rights are fairly upheld—without any conflicts of interest—so I am glad to see the Board take this step. I will continue working to ensure the Board’s members are focused first and foremost on protecting workers’ rights, not on the interests of their own former employers, and will continue making the case against policies that allow big corporations to skirt their responsibilities to workers.”

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