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The National Labor Relations Board is Supporting Workers During an Upsurge in Union Organizing after the Coronavirus Pandemic

Key Points:
The NLRB is taking meaningful steps to strengthen workers’ rights
The NLRB’s caseload is growing sharply in 2022 as union organizing spreads and increases
NLRB funding has fallen significantly, especially since 2010
Additional authorities would enable the NLRB to better protect workers’ right to organize

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent federal agency tasked with safeguarding employees’ right to organize and remedying unfair labor practices in the private sector. It plays a key role in protecting labor rights and strengthening workers’ economic security. In particular, their efforts protecting the right to organize help address economic inequality and ensure that workers see the benefits when the economy grows. Unionized workers get higher pay, better benefits and more flexibility in their work schedules compared to workers who are not in a union. These benefits are especially large for Black and Hispanic workers. Importantly, unions generate broader spillover effects for all workers in industries with high rates of unionization, even for workers who are not in unions. During the pandemic and in its aftermath, the NLRB has played a particularly important role in ensuring that workers’ right to organize is protected.


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