As workers wage successful union campaigns at major corporations like GE, the number of workers who want to join a union is on the rise. Starbucks Amazon, new data from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) shows.
Between October 1 and June 30 – the first nine months of Fiscal Year 2022 – union petitions filed with the NLRB were up 56 percent over the same period of Fiscal Year 2021. During the first nine month of FY 2021 workers filed 1,240 petitions. During the same period in FY 20,22, the NLRB received 1,935 petitions.
Further, the number of petitions filed between October and the end of May – just eight months into the current fiscal year – exceeded the number of petitions filed in the entirety of FY 2021.
Unfair labor practice charges, which are often filed by unions claiming that companies violate federal labor laws, are also trending upwards. Unfair labor practice allegations have increased by 14.5 percent in the first nine months of FY 2021, from 11,451 and 13,106, respectively.
These Similar findings were foundThe agency released data in April that showed that the NLRB board had reported that the number of people who want to organize was up by 57 per cent and that allegations of unfair labor practices were up by 14 per cent over the previous year. This information was available during the first six month of FY 2022.
The NLRB stated in a press release that the increase of filings is evidence that it is in dire need for more funding to meet the increased demand.
Years of experience of conservative efforts to oppose labor advocacy and shrink the NLRB, the agency has not seen a budget increase in nearly a decade – meaning that, in real dollars, the agency’s budget has shrunk by 25 percent since FY 2010.
At the same time, the agency is having to deal with a surge of union activity in the U.S. reaching levels that haven’t been seen for at least a few decades.
“The increase in cases comes during a period of critical funding and staffing shortages for the Agency. The NLRB has received the same Congressional appropriation of $274.2 million for nine consecutive years as costs have risen,” said NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo in a statement.
According to the statement, budget shortages have led to understaffing problems at the agency. “Overall Agency staffing levels have dropped 39 percent since FY2002 and field staffing has shrunk by 50 percent,” Abruzzo continued. “We need Congress to help us restore the capacity that we have lost after years of underfunding.”
The surge in labor activity nationwide has caused a significant increase in the NLRB’s caseload, and the Agency urgently needs more staff and resources to effectively comply with our Congressional mandate. pic.twitter.com/VCGRwj6OcA
— NLRB General Counsel (@NLRBGC) July 13, 2022
President Joe Biden Frequently Asked QuestionsIn his 2023 budget request, Congress requested that the board receive a 16 percent increase on its current budget to total $319 million. Some Democrats in Congress Have pushed forAn increase of at least 34 per cent to $368 million. It’s unclear if these budget increases – which are infinitesimally small compared to the massive and growing defense budget – will have enough support in Congress to pass.
The NLRB has resisted many attacks by conservatives over the years, including unfair labor practice and discrimination. charges decreasedTrump’s administration was not because companies were less likely to violate the law, but because unions knew the Republican-majority board would reject the charges. Labor advocates claim that increasing the board’s budget is criticalto reverse such measures and support the burgeoning labor movement.
