RILA Testifies in Support of Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act Legislation 

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) testified today at a legislative hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce concerning the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act (H.R. 3094). The Workplace Democracy and Fairness Act, would amend the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to effectively overrule the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) recent decision in Specialty Healthcare, and to address issues raised in the Board’s June 22 proposed rulemaking, in which the Board proposes to radically overhaul union election procedures and force elections in as little as ten days after the filing of a representation petition.

Last week RILA announced its support of the Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act introduced by House Education and the Workforce Chairman Jon Kline and urged for its speedy passage. Today, RILA testified before the committee to express concerns associated with the Board’s recent actions and the need for a legislative solution.

“The changes in bargaining unit determinations under Specialty Healthcare, if allowed to stand, and the proposed election rule change, if implemented, would impose severe administrative burdens on employers; lead to operational problems caused by fractured bargaining units; be detrimental to employee interests; and, for retailers, ultimately result in poor customer service,” Bob Sullivan, stated in his testimony, on behalf of RILA.

“The recent actions by the NLRB are a blatant federal overreach that put both workers and employers at risk at a time when they can least afford it and the economy is struggling to recover,” said Kelly Kolb, vice president of government relations.

“These regulatory threats fly in the face of the President’s commitment to review government regulations so that we can fix any rules that are an unnecessary burden on businesses. The Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act would put a stop to these harmful policies, protect the rights of workers and employers and allow business leaders to focus their efforts on growing the economy and creating jobs,” Kolb concluded.



RILA is the trade association of the world’s largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.