Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Kathleen A. Casavant, Voice@Work Campaign, AFL-CIO, 815 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC, DC 20006, 201/260-5005, Kcasavan@afl-cio.org

The Bush-appointed National Labor Relations Board is poised to issue decisions that could narrow even further the one road to economic security that a shrinking number of America's workers still possess: the freedom to form and join unions.

NLRB rulings in three cases, known as “Kentucky River,” could strip many workers of their union protections and block many more from forming unions by reclassifying them as “supervisors.” Workers in every industry may be affected -- 8 million according to the Economic Policy Institute.

“Supervisors” have no federal labor law protections, and can be fired or disciplined for union activity. Any skilled or experienced worker who sometimes directs or assigns the work of less skilled and experienced workers is vulnerable to a broadened definition of “supervisor”.

This presentation will place the pending NLRB decisions in the broader context of the U.S. workplace rights crisis, describe what the AFL-CIO is doing to address it, and how APHA members can help.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to

1)Describe and discuss the pending NLRB decisions in Kentucky River and their potential impact on the freedom of nurses and other professional and skilled workers to form unions and bargain collectively
• Understand the broader consequences of these decisions, including implications for public health.

Keywords: Nurses,

Related Web page: www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No