
Amazon workers protest on April 1, 2022, as they vote for the unionization of the Amazon Staten Island warehouse in New York. (Photo: Andrea Renault/AFP via Getty Images)
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Amazon workers protest on April 1, 2022, as they vote for the unionization of the Amazon Staten Island warehouse in New York. (Photo: Andrea Renault/AFP via Getty Images)
As Congress negotiates a year-end government budget bill, a key priority must be to boost funding for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to ensure they have the resources to protect workers' rights.
Workers seeking to organize unions in their workplaces need assurances that the NLRB will be able to protect their rights to a free and fair election, and that employers are held accountable for illegal union-busting. And yet, with worker organizing on the rise, NLRB leadership has warned that the agency will need to enact a hiring freeze and will likely be forced to furlough staff if it does not receive increased funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023.
For nearly a decade, NLRB funding has essentially plateaued. Adjusting for inflation, the agency's budget has decreased 25% since 2014. This is at a time when the NLRB has seen a 23% increase in overall cases from 2021, the largest single-year increase since FY1976, and the largest percentage increase since FY1959.
The consequences of a funding shortfall could be disastrous for workers who rely on the NLRB to fairly oversee their efforts to unionize and to hold employers accountable for violating their rights, including Amazon and Starbucks workers. We urge Congress to move beyond a short-term continuing resolution that would keep the agency's inadequate funding flat, and to reach an agreement that increases non-defense spending enough to give the NLRB the resources it desperately needs to fulfill the agency's basic mandate.
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
As Congress negotiates a year-end government budget bill, a key priority must be to boost funding for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to ensure they have the resources to protect workers' rights.
Workers seeking to organize unions in their workplaces need assurances that the NLRB will be able to protect their rights to a free and fair election, and that employers are held accountable for illegal union-busting. And yet, with worker organizing on the rise, NLRB leadership has warned that the agency will need to enact a hiring freeze and will likely be forced to furlough staff if it does not receive increased funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023.
For nearly a decade, NLRB funding has essentially plateaued. Adjusting for inflation, the agency's budget has decreased 25% since 2014. This is at a time when the NLRB has seen a 23% increase in overall cases from 2021, the largest single-year increase since FY1976, and the largest percentage increase since FY1959.
The consequences of a funding shortfall could be disastrous for workers who rely on the NLRB to fairly oversee their efforts to unionize and to hold employers accountable for violating their rights, including Amazon and Starbucks workers. We urge Congress to move beyond a short-term continuing resolution that would keep the agency's inadequate funding flat, and to reach an agreement that increases non-defense spending enough to give the NLRB the resources it desperately needs to fulfill the agency's basic mandate.
As Congress negotiates a year-end government budget bill, a key priority must be to boost funding for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to ensure they have the resources to protect workers' rights.
Workers seeking to organize unions in their workplaces need assurances that the NLRB will be able to protect their rights to a free and fair election, and that employers are held accountable for illegal union-busting. And yet, with worker organizing on the rise, NLRB leadership has warned that the agency will need to enact a hiring freeze and will likely be forced to furlough staff if it does not receive increased funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023.
For nearly a decade, NLRB funding has essentially plateaued. Adjusting for inflation, the agency's budget has decreased 25% since 2014. This is at a time when the NLRB has seen a 23% increase in overall cases from 2021, the largest single-year increase since FY1976, and the largest percentage increase since FY1959.
The consequences of a funding shortfall could be disastrous for workers who rely on the NLRB to fairly oversee their efforts to unionize and to hold employers accountable for violating their rights, including Amazon and Starbucks workers. We urge Congress to move beyond a short-term continuing resolution that would keep the agency's inadequate funding flat, and to reach an agreement that increases non-defense spending enough to give the NLRB the resources it desperately needs to fulfill the agency's basic mandate.