Multi-industry letter opposing the President's Nomination of Craig Becker to Serve as a Member of the National Labor Relations Board

October 20, 2009

The Honorable Tom Harkin
Chairman
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Mike Enzi
Ranking Member
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Enzi:

The undersigned trade associations represent millions of employers in every size, sector, and region of the country. We are writing to urge you to oppose the nomination of Craig Becker to become a Member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). This letter is not intended to express an opinion about the nominations of Mark Pearce or Brian Hayes to serve as Members of the NLRB.

Mr. Becker has written prolifically about the National Labor Relations Act, the law he would be charged with interpreting and enforcing should he be confirmed. Many of the positions taken in his writings are well outside the mainstream and would disrupt years of established precedent and the delicate balance in current labor law. These positions have raised significant concerns in the employer community, for example, the extent to which he would restrictively interpret employers' free speech rights.

The public deserves an opportunity to hear from Mr. Becker directly as to whether he still believes in the positions espoused in his writings or whether his views on these issues have changed over time. A hearing would also provide an opportunity to learn to what extent Mr. Becker will seek to apply these views in his role on the NLRB. Nevertheless, it appears that the Committee does not intend to hold a hearing to fully vet these important concerns.

For these reasons, we urge you to oppose the nomination of Craig Becker to become a Member of the National Labor Relations Board.

Sincerely,

Air Conditioning Contractors of America
American Hotel and Lodging Association
American Trucking Associations, Inc.
Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
Associated General Contractors of America
College and University Professional Association for Human Resources
Food Marketing Institute
HR Policy Association
Independent Electrical Contractors, Inc
International Foodservice Distributors Association
International Franchise Association
National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Waterfront Employers
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
National Federation of Independent Business
National Pest Management Association
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
National Retail Federation
Printing Industries of America
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Society for Human Resource Management
Steel Manufacturers Association
United States Chamber of Commerce

Cc: The Members of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions