6581-91 Support HB 2112- Nat'l Labor Relations Act

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RESOLUTION NO. 6581-91 BY: Gallagher, Gazzana, George, Graham, Roth A RESOLUTION in support of Senate Bill 2112 and House Resolution 5 which would amend the National Labor Relations Act to prevent discrimination in the form of permanent replacement of employees for participation in labor disputes. WHEREAS, in 1935, workers in the United States gained legal protection in exercising their right to strike as a means of economic pressure in collective bargaining as part of the National Labor Relations Act; and WHEREAS, for employees, the cornerstone of this federally protected concerted action is the right to withhold services from an employer in order to further legitimate objectives in the collective bargaining process, i.e., the right to strike, and WHEREAS, for employers, the right to protect their business interests during a strike include a number of options such as, shutting down operations, using supervisory and management personnel, or, sometimes, using temporary replacement employees, and WHEREAS, following actions in 1981 by former President Reagan in the firing and replacement of 12,000 air traffic controllers, a precedent was set condoning the practice by employers of hiring permanent replacements during a strike, and WHEREAS, statistics compiled by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) indicate as high as 15 percent of strikes per year result in employers permanently replacing strikers; and WHEREAS, Senate Bill 2112 and House Resolution 5 would restore the right to strike to its correct status as a legitimate bargaining tool for workers, and WHEREAS, this bill still allows employers to continue to use legitimate economic weapons, but does not allow the practice of hiring permanent replacements to the application of discriminatory preferences in favor of workers who cross picket lines, and WHEREAS, of protecting the now, therefore, the City of Lakewood recognizes the importance rights of working men and women in our city; BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD, STATE OF OHIO: Section 1. That this Council supports Senate Bill 2112 and House Resolution 5 which would amend the National Labor Relations Act to prevent discrimination based on participation in labor disputes and urges the United States Senate ~and House of Representatives to adopt this legislation. Section 2. That the Clerk of Council be and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a certified copy of this Resolution to Senator Howard Metzenbaum, Senator John Glenn and the Secretary of the United States Senate, Congressman Edward Feighan, Congresswoman Mary' Rose Oakar and the Secretary of the United States House of Representatives. Section 3. It is found and determined that all formal actions of this Council concerning and relating to the passage of this resolution were adopted in an open meeting of this Council