Dying Is An Unfair Labor Practice

(Mike Chamberlain/The Cranky Hermit) – From the NLRB that brought you the Boeing case comes something even more outrageous.

LaborUnionReport alerts us to the case of Gordon L. Wray, formerly the sole owner of BLSI, LLC, a sitework contractor, and formerly of this world. It seems the AFL-CIO’s International Union of Operating Engineers was certified in August, 2010 to represent BLSI’s workers and sent a request demanding that BLSI, Mr. Wray, bargain with it. The problem is, Mr. Wray died in July, 2010 and his estate was insolvent.

However, Mr. Wray’s passage into the netherworld was not sufficient reason, in the eyes of the NLRB, for his failure to respond to the union’s demand.

The Board found that the death of BLSI, LLC’s owner and the insolvency of his estate did not constitute good cause for the Respondent’s failure to answer the complaint…In the absence of good cause being shown for the failure to file a timely answer, we deem the allegations in the complaint admitted as true, and we grant the Acting General Counsel’s Motion for Default Judgment.

For good measure, the Board demanded the deceased perform certain remedies.

Having found that the Respondent has engaged in certain unfair labor practices, we shall order it to cease and desist and to take certain affirmative action designed to effectuate the policies of the Act. Specifically, having found that the Respondent has violated Section 8(a)(1) and (5) of the Act by failing and refusing to bargain with the Union, we shall order it to cease and desist therefrom and to bargain on request with the Union, and, if an understanding is reached, to embody the understanding in a signed agreement.

I guess we’ll find out if Evan Thomas was, in fact, correct that Obama is “sort of God” if his administration is able to enforce this demand.

Let this be a lesson to all you evil, greedy businessowners. This administration will pursue you to the afterlife if necessary to impose a unionized workforce upon you.

Warner Todd Huston comments as well.