WASHINGTON – United States Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) released the following statement in response to the National Labor Relations Board ruling that health care industry workers who exercise professional clinical judgment are “supervisors” and thus ineligible to join unions. The 3-2 ruling by the board, which is dominated by Bush administration appointees, opens the door for millions of other workers to be reclassified as supervisors and therefore be denied the rights and protections guaranteed under the National Labor Relations Act.

“From day one, the Bush administration has shown that it does not stand with the hard-working Americans who try to join unions and exercise their right to bargain collectively. The National Labor Relations Board was created to protect and uphold the rights of working men and women, yet the Bush administration has used it as a tool to place a stranglehold on Americans who want a decent wage and suitable working conditions. Today’s decision is a disservice to all Americans who work hard for a better way of life.”

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