By Edwin S. Hopson
According to a press release issued February 18, 2011, by National Labor Relations Board Chairman Liebman and Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon, the U.S. House of Representatives was set to vote on a “Continuing Resolution” to fund the federal government through September 30, 2011, that includes a provision that would eliminate $50 million or 18% of the NLRB’s budget for the remainder of the fiscal year.
The Board in its statement points out that since most of its budget is spent on personnel and rent, such a reduction, concentrated in the last 7 months of the fiscal year, would mean that all of its 1,665 employees would face a furlough of some 55 work days or 3 months in total between now and September 30, 2011. It estimated that such a result could create a backlog of some 18,000 cases.
The House did finally pass its budget reduction bill (H.R. 1) early on February 19, 2011, and then adjourned for the President's Day Holiday week. The Senate will now take up the measure starting February 28, 2011, with a possible government shutdown looming on March 4, 2011.
The February 18 NLRB press release was removed from the NLRB's website. The Wall Street Journal also reported on this story. See http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/02/17/nlrb-defunding-fails-but-agency-remains-gop-target/