Reconciliation Bill Ditches Plan to Add New Labor Law Violations, but Maintains Provisions Increasing Penalties for Violations of Existing Labor Law Prohibitions
In the reconciliation bill released yesterday, House Democrats abandoned their proposal in the measure they passed earlier this year that would have created new prohibitions under federal labor laws. Democrats removed those provisions in the slimmed down reconciliation package because substantive revisions to federal labor law, as opposed to increased penalties for violations of current labor law, were deemed unlikely to be ruled in order for reconciliation by the Senate Parliamentarian.
The new legislation raises the penalties the National Labor Relations Board can collect for unfair labor practices to $50,000, with fines doubling to $100,000 if the violation results in a worker being discharged or suffering serious economic harm. The new bill also raises penalties for violating federal minimum wage and overtime laws from $1,100 to $20,740. Additionally, the measure increases the maximum fine the Occupational Safety and Health Administration can collect for violations for willful and repeat violations to $700,000 from $136,532 and for serious violations to $70,000 from $13,653.
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