Anti-union business owners around the country are breathing a sigh of relief as the U.S. Court of Appeals issued a
temporary injunction blocking implementation of the National Labor Relations Board's
labor rights poster rule during appeals. That means the dread day on which workers might gain the right to read about their existing legal rights on a poster in their workplace has been postponed from the
already postponed date of April 30, thanks to lawsuits by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other corporate special interest groups.
Two district courts have ruled on the issue, with one saying the NLRB couldn't require posters at all and the other saying the board could require posters, but not enforce the requirement in any meaningful way. The NLRB is appealing both rulings; Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce said in a statement that "We continue to believe that requiring employers to post this notice is well within the Board’s authority, and that it provides a genuine service to employees who may not otherwise know their rights under our law."
Mitt Romney, of course, claims he wants to eliminate the National Labor Relations Board, which is the agency tasked with protecting workers' rights under the National Labor Relations Act. If elected, though, it's likely Romney will have a change of heart and decide to use the board as George W. Bush did, to chip away at workers' rights and tip the balance ever more in favor of big business.