On the recordFebruary 9, 2010
I am going to oppose cloture of the nomination of Craig Becker to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board. My colleagues know it is very unusual to have a cloture vote on a HELP Committee nominee, but this will be the second in as many weeks. In fact, these two nominees are the only HELP nominations I have opposed. Over 40 HELP nominees have been swiftly confirmed after appropriate consideration in this Congress, but these two nominees are problematic, and instead of withdrawing the nominations as has been done in previous administrations, the majority is attempting to force them through. Craig Becker was first nominated last July, and controversy surrounding his nomination has only grown since then. A review of decades of writings by Mr. Becker has revealed that he has advocated for the most radical theories of labor law, pursuing policies such as mandatory unionization where an employee would choose which union to join, not whether to join a union; and questioning whether an employer has a right to any involvement at all in the unionization questions in his workplace.
