Nancy Kassebaum: “I rise in opposition to the nomination of William Gould to be Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board. Certainly…”

“I rise in opposition to the nomination of William Gould to be Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board. Certainly, William Gould brings high credentials to this position. However, I cannot support this nominee for this position, which wields such significant power over the lives of American workers and businesses. This is a nominee who has lent support over the years for radical change in labor law. I cannot support a nominee for a position that holds significant power and authority over the labor laws of our land and a nominee who subscribes to an agenda that will undermine the very legal structure his agency will oversee. For years, Professor Gould has called for a major overhaul of our Federal labor laws. His writings have been very critical of existing law, as well as numerous Board and Supreme Court precedents. He has, in fact, become one of the Nation's leading champions of labor law reform. The National Labor Relations Board is charged with the interpretation and enforcement of our Nation's labor laws. It is not and should not become a forum for radical labor law reform. Professor Gould's recent book 'Agenda For Reform' lays out a blueprint for drastically changing Federal labor law. For example, most disturbing is Professor Gould's desire to do away with secret ballot elections when workers are asked to decide whether or not they want to join a union.”