Senate Republicans on Wednesday, as expected, elected Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) to chair the chamber’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Senator Alexander has been an outspoken critic of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), saying the NLRB too often acts as a labor union advocate, rather than an impartial umpire.
Senator Alexander told Bloomberg BNA this week that he intends to introduce legislation to revamp the NLRB and it processes, including by adding a sixth member to the board. He and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sponsored legislation in the last Congress that would have also required a four-member majority for a quorum and to make determination as in representation cases and unfair labor practice proceedings.
“Senator McConnell and I have a bill that would create balance on the board and have an equal number of Republicans and Democrats,” Alexander said. “It would also speed up the process. Whether the union wins or loses, they would have a right to take the board’s decision to court.”
