Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) recently announced its opposition to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announcement of a proposed rule, Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Process. The proposed rule would allow an employee to choose a third-party representative (such as an outside union representative) to accompany an OSHA inspector into nonunion facilities.
“ABC is deeply disappointed that the Biden administration is trying to revive a failed Obama-era initiative, which was bad policy then and is bad policy now,” said Ben Brubeck, ABC vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs, in the press release. “This proposal does nothing to promote workplace safety, and it will have a substantial negative impact on the rights of employers and their employees.”
“By allowing outside union representatives access to nonunion employers’ private property, OSHA is injecting itself into labor-management disputes and casting doubt on its status as a neutral enforcer of the law,” said Brubeck. “Unfortunately, many outside union organizer representatives have a biased agenda that is not focused on safety or health, which could distract OSHA inspectors from their primary purpose of workplace safety.”
ABC continues to review the proposed rule and assess options for a legal challenge.
For more information, read the original press release.
