Harkin Applauds Senate Confirmation of Richard Griffin to Serve as General Counsel to the National Labor Relations Board

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today issued the following statement after the Senate approved the nomination of Richard Griffin to serve as General Counsel to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Griffin’s nomination was cleared by the Senate HELP Committee in September.

“The National Labor Relations Board is the guardian of rights enshrined in the National Labor Relations Act, including the right to form and join a union and bargain for fair wages, good benefits, and safe working conditions.  Workers themselves cannot enforce the NLRA – the Board is the only place workers can go if they have been treated unfairly and denied the basic protections that the law provides.  The NLRB also provides relief and remedies to our nation’s employers. By preventing labor disputes that could disrupt our economy, the work that the Board does is vital to every worker and every business across the nation. 

“The General Counsel at the National Labor Relations Board serves as the top prosecutor for violations of this country’s labor laws. Given his depth of experience and knowledge of labor law, Richard Griffin is an exceedingly well-qualified candidate for this position, and I am confident that he will work to fairly enforce our nation’s labor laws for workers, unions, and employers. I am pleased that the Senate has acted to confirm him to this important post, and I thank Mr. Griffin for his exceptional commitment to public service.”

###