Today, the House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing entitled, “Adding to Uncertainty: The Impact of DOL/NLRB Decisions and Proposed Rules on Small Businesses.” The hearing will take place on Wednesday, October 5th at 1:00pm in Room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

The hearing will focus on recent decisions and proposed rules by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Department of Labor (DOL) that some fear disadvantage small businesses in union organizing drives. The hearing will also examine how these proposed rules and decisions may add to the myriad of uncertainties facing small businesses as they struggle to survive and create jobs in today’s economy.  Specifically, the Committee will examine the NLRB access to secret ballot elections Lamons decision from August, the NLRB micro-unions decision, also from August, the NLRB shortened elections notice of proposed rulemaking from June, and the DOL notice of proposed rulemaking on employer access to counsel from July.

“It was disappointing, this summer, to follow a series of controversial decisions issued by the NLRB that could undermine job creation and set a damaging precedence for government control over the private sector,” said Chairman Graves. “This hearing will give us the opportunity to more closely examine how labor decisions in Washington impact small businesses on Main Street America. Everybody agrees that the key to addressing our unemployment crisis is to help small businesses grow, however, they can’t grow if government stifles entrepreneurial liberty through activist decisions.”

Materials for the hearing are posted on the House Small Business Committee’s website HERE.

WHAT:           House Small Business Committee hearing entitled, Adding to Uncertainty: The Impact of DOL/NLRB Decisions and Proposed Rules on Small Businesses

WHEN:          Today, Wednesday, October 5, 2011
                     1:00 p.m. ET

WHERE:        2360 Rayburn House Office Building 

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