Sen. Risch Floats Bill to Punish Unions for Port Slowdowns
Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, introduced legislation in recent days to strip a labor union of accreditation if the National Labor Relations Board (NLBR) determines union members deliberately slowed down activity at U.S. ports. The Preventing Labor Union Slowdowns Act of 2015, S-1630 (here), comes in the wake of months of major gridlock at West Coast ports from Fall 2014 through February 2015 (see 1502230002). A contract dispute between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union caused, at least partially, the slowdowns and shutdowns.
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The Risch bill aims to mitigate damages to U.S. businesses impacted by slowed activity at ports, as well. The legislation allows injured parties to seek compensation for attorney fees incurred while addressing violations of the National Labor Relations Act. The measure would also prevent the NLBR from denying compensation requests, in certain circumstances, if injured parties previously waived their right to pursue "monetary damages to the labor slowdown at issue."
“Frequent and periodic disruptions” at U.S. ports have fueled “substantial and frequent economic disruption and loss,” the legislation says. Risch’s bill now accompanies two similar pieces of legislation introduced in the Senate over recent weeks. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., introduced a bill in May to require more performance reporting at U.S. ports (see 1506230029). Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., then floated a bill in early June to give state governors more intervention powers, drawn from the Taft-Hartley Act, in port disputes (see 1506050028).