Washington, D.C. - Today the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) took an important step toward leveling the playing field in America’s workplaces—a step that couldn’t come soon enough for working families. The agency has outlined a plan to streamline its process to seek federal injunctions when employers unlawfully fire workers during union organizing campaigns. This approach will at least ensure that illegally fired workers can get back to work without delay.

There’s no question that this NLRB initiative is both sorely needed and critical to ensuring that the law is effectively enforced. According to recent studies, over one in three employers fire workers for their support of a union during NLRB election campaigns. Far too often, fired workers have had to wait months or even years for justice because of procedural delays that unscrupulous employers use to their advantage. And for every worker fired with no recourse to swift reinstatement, 395 coworkers get the message: they could be next.

I commend the NLRB for taking this preliminary action to restore balance in our workplaces, and look forward to more progress for workers’ rights in the coming months and years. It’s high time that we protect workers’ rights to form a union and bargain collectively for a brighter future.