Matsui Statement on Anti-Labor Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 15, 2011

CONTACT: MARA LEE
(202) 225-7163

Matsui Statement on Anti-Labor Act
Opposes GOP's Job Outsourcers Bill of Rights, Encourages Quick Adoption of President Obama's American Jobs Act

Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) released a statement on H.R. 2587, the so-called Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act. This harmful bill put forth by House Republicans would remove the only meaningful remedy available to workers if a company illegally moves operations or eliminates work because workers engaged in protected, pro-union activities.

This new bill would render workers rights unenforceable, allowing more jobs to be shipped overseas. Critics have called this bill the Job Outsourcers Bill of Rights, because of its intent to protect companies ability to move their facilities wherever they please for any reason including overseas while specifically diminishing the rights of American workers.

Under existing law, companies are free to move their operations as they see fit, as long as it is not in retaliation for workers exercising their right to organize, to demand better benefits and safer working conditions, to ensure a full day's pay for an honest day's work. In 2000, the National Labor Relations Board was able to force a company to bring jobs back to the U.S. from Mexico, as the company was charged with shipping jobs to Mexico in retaliation against workers seeking to organize a union. But under the Republican bill, American workers would lose this job protection.

Congresswoman Matsui's statement on H.R. 2587, which will brought-up to the House floor for a final vote today, is as follows:

H.R. 2587 is not a jobs bill this is an-anti workers bill. Furthermore, this Job Outsourcers Bill of Rights as some have called is an expansive bill that would eliminate the National Labor Relations Board's authority to restore work when companies outsource, transfer, subcontract, or relocate work in order to bust a union, retaliate against workers, or get rid of pro-union employees.

At a time of high unemployment in Sacramento and across the nation, Congress should be focused on creating and protecting American jobs and supporting legislation that would do so like President Obama's American Jobs Act. That proposal focuses on shoring up our nation's manufacturing sector in order to keep American jobs from being shipped overseas, and would provide much needed improvements to our nation's infrastructure.

The American Jobs Act will create jobs in areas that will keep our country competitive in the future ranging from clean energy to education investments. It is vital we invest in our roads and flood protection, schools and job training programs, health care and other sectors with high job growth potential if we are going to truly turn our economy around.

Unfortunately, instead of considering legislation that would actually create American jobs, the House is spending time on this unprecedented anti-worker bill. We must recognize this bill for what it is: a retaliatory attack on American workers exercising their rights. I will continue to oppose legislation that undermines American workers in order to increase the profits of some of the world's largest companies.

This Congress must get to work to create jobs. The President laid out a plan to do so and I encourage my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to begin immediate consideration of the American Jobs Act.

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