During the Trump administration, the National Labor Relations Board tried to hurt our unions and members by claiming construction workers and others, like millwrights, who do irregular work are not employees but small businesses, or independent contractors. Independent contractors cannot join unions, and those who hire them do not have to provide benefits or workers’ compensation insurance or pay the employer portion of federal and state taxes, leaving those burdens on the worker. But this month, the National Labor Relations Board, with new board members appointed by President Biden, reinstated the commonsense position as to who is a worker. Of course construction workers and millwrights are workers – and have the right to join a union.
The victory came in a case called Atlanta Opera. Knowing the importance of this case, our Southern States Millwright Regional Council filed a legal brief in support of the commonsense approach. In the decision, the Board specifically mentioned the work our council did, along with the UBC and other UBC councils. Read more about the case on NLRB’s website.
This is a win in the battle against misclassification of workers as independent contractors and shows another way we are working for you! Our efforts to ensure fairness in the workplace extend past the jobsite, and that’s why it’s important for you to get politically involved. The president determines who leads the NLRB, which makes these important decisions affecting all our lives. Elections Have Consequences.