APALA Condemns the Bush NLRB : QC IMC

APALA Condemns the Bush NLRB for taking away Union Organizing
Rights Cites Impact on Asian and Pacific Islander American Workers

Los Angeles - The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) today condemned the National Labor Relations Board's decision to expand the definition of a supervisor and strip millions of workers of the right to form a union. Asian and Pacific Islander American workers would be particularly impacted by this decision because so many are concentrated in the nursing
and professional occupations that likely to lose organizing rights.

The NLRB ruling was on a case involving nurses, but would pave the way for employers to classify anyone who assigns work, directs another, or uses independent judgment as a supervisor, which would mean they are ineligible to form a union. Since Registered Nurses often give instructions to nurse aides, they would be classified as supervisors.

Even if the workers spend as little as 10-15% of their time on directing others, they could be still be considered "supervisors." In addition to nurses, many other jobs in which experienced or skilled workers lead teams of other workers could also be re-classified as "supervisory." In the building trades, journeymen direct apprentices or workers on a crew. Professionals could also be classified as "supervisors" because the very nature of professional work frequently involves directing others and exercising independent judgment.

Over 2 million Asian and Pacific Islander Americans could be denied the right to form a union. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1.9 million APIAs work as professionals, including 155,000 who work as registered nurses. About 110,000 work in construction.

APALA National President Maria Somma stated, "Asian and Pacific Islander American workers want to form unions to improve the quality of life for their families, protect their rights, and have a voice at work. Our numbers in unions have increased for two years in row because of the many successes in organizing workers in industries such as health care.

This ruling cuts off a crucial pathway to economic justice for Asian and Pacific Islander American workers. The right to form unions is a basic human right recognized around the world. It's an outrage that it is not being recognized right here in America."

APALA is a national membership organization of Asian and Pacific Islander American union members and labor activists that unites the labor movement and the APIA community by building labor-community alliances in support of union organizing and advocating for worker rights, civil rights, and immigrant
rights.

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