Grayson Announces Bill to Let Workers Personally Sue Bosses Who Retaliate
Source: The Nation
Josh Eidelson
n a Tuesday interview, Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) announced the introduction of a bill to dramatically expand the legal remedies available to non-union workers who are punished for workplace activism. Retaliation in the workplace today when people exercise their right to organize is pervasive, Grayson told The Nation, and the law against it has become utterly impotent.
Graysons bill has been referred to the Republican-controlled House Committee on Education and the Workforce, where it is virtually guaranteed to languish. It may not pass today, said Grayson. It may not pass tomorrow. But it indicates the direction that we have to go in if were going to preserve the middle class in America. A spokesperson for Congressman John Kline, the committees chairman, did not respond to a request for comment last night. The committee is scheduled to take up two GOP bills restricting union recognition tomorrow.
Retaliating against workers for engaging in protected forms of workplace collective action is already illegal under the seventy-eight-year-old National Labor Relations Act (Grayson noted that his bill gives a broad and explicit definition of the crime). But pro-labor advocates and academics have long argued that the law does too little to dissuade companies determined to squash organizing or suppress free speech. Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen last year slammed existing US labor law as a scam, garbage and a fucking lie. Graysons new Worker Anti-Retaliation Act, which he introduced June 11 but has not previously announced, addresses several of the NLRAs perceived weaknesses when it comes to punishing retaliation.
Whereas current law limits workers legal recourse for retaliation to the National Labor Relations Boardan agency whose process can take years to reinstate a fired workerGraysons bill would separately guarantee most employees the right to sue their boss in civil court for retaliating, and the chance to seek an injunction to swiftly reverse the alleged retaliation. The private right of action, said Grayson, means that the fact that a government bureaucrat is lazy or bored or not interested in your case, or hostile to workers in general, would no longer mean that you have no case. It means that you can take your case to court yourself.
Read more: Grayson Announces Bill to Let Workers Personally Sue Bosses Who Retaliate | The Nation http://www.thenation.com/blog/174975/grayson-announces-bill-let-workers-personally-sue-bosses-who-retaliate#ixzz2XH0TFDLr
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Alan Grayson. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Salviati
(6,012 posts)I'm glad that I donated to his campaign, even though I'm literally on the other side of the country (WA).
Every time I hear about him in the news, it's because he's doing something awesome.
IthinkThereforeIAM
(3,087 posts)...me, too.
premium
(3,731 posts)he's a true man of the people.
BrainMann1
(460 posts)JustAnotherGen
(32,330 posts)He shows he is filled with awesome sauce!
SummerSnow
(12,608 posts)I bet he's related to Dick Grayson aka Robin ,Batmans sidekick.lol
diabeticman
(3,121 posts)Baitball Blogger
(46,958 posts)Too bad it doesn't extend to homeowners' rights.
idwiyo
(5,113 posts)AzDar
(14,023 posts)SunSeeker
(52,205 posts)Marie Marie
(9,999 posts)Thank You Rep. Grayson - for all you do on behalf of us, the little people.
90-percent
(6,845 posts)And I take pride that my modest little working person's $50.00 campaign contribution helped gt him back in.
-90% Jimmy
Skittles
(153,984 posts)righteous indignation at its finest
ReRe
(10,597 posts)Now, if we just had a Democratic House to pass them on through, we might get something done in this country. 2014! 2014! 2014! 2014! 2014! 2014! 2014! 2014!
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Little Star
(17,055 posts)Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)I would hope that all do the same.
Ash_F
(5,861 posts)He needs our support. He takes the time to post here too. I will call my rep and ask him to support this bill.
Grayson for President.