Sunday, January 08, 2006 - Posts
Responding to President Bush's recent recess appointment of Ohio labor lawyer Peter N. Kirsanow to serve on the NLRB, several Democratic Congressional leaders and union officials have voiced more than a little displeasure. Senator Ted Kennedy was quoted in the BNA Daily Labor report that Kirsanow's record "raises serious doubts about his fitness for high office and his commitment to fairness for all Americans." And who better than the good Senator from Massachusetts to suggest that one's actions might affect his "fitness for high office"? BNA also referenced Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's unsurprisingly similar opinion that there were "serious questions" about Kirsanow's suitability for the Board. There was also grumbling from President of the AFL-CIO. It's hard to tell whether the pro-labor discontent stems more from "who" got appointed than "how," given that it was a recess appointment made without Senate confirmation. One thing is for sure--getting one step closer to a full Board will hopefully enable the NLRB to again make some significant decisions and potentially overturn precedent--something that, because it takes a three member majority to overturn Board law, it hasn't been been able to do in quite awhile.