Nevada Candidates Take Stand On Job-Killing Legislation

(NN&V Staff) – A fundamental objective of the Alliance to Protect Nevada Jobs (APNJ) is to inform citizens about where candidates for federal office stand on job-killing legislation, namely the Employee ‘Forced’ Choice Act (EFCA).

EFCA would force unionization on small businesses resulting in many closing their doors or moving overseas. It would remove a workers’ right to a secret ballot in union-organizing efforts and impose mandatory, binding arbitration on both workers and small businesses allowing a government bureaucrat to dictate the terms of contracts. Due to the costs and overwhelming burdens it would place on employers already struggling to survive in a very difficult economic environment, EFCA would increase Nevada’s unemployment rate adding to the crisis the state is already experiencing.

Over two months ago, APNJ sent questionnaires to all candidates seeking federal office asking basic questions about where each stood on EFCA and its key components. Today, APNJ is releasing the second and final round of updates concerning the candidate responses.

Twelve candidates for federal office have stepped forward to let voters know where they stand on this dangerous piece of legislation, which is opposed by virtually every business organization in the state.

Candidates for the U.S. Senate including Sharron Angle, Jesse Holland, Jeffrey Reeves, Tim Fasano and Michael Haines have all stood up and voiced their opposition to the Employee ‘Forced’ Choice Act.

In the three Congressional races, numerous candidates are standing with Nevada voters and opposing the job-killing EFCA legislation.

Candidates such as Ed Klapproth, Kenneth Wegner and Jonathan Hansen in the First Congressional District, Russell Best in the Second Congressional District and Joe Heck, Barry Michaels and Scott Narter in the Third Congressional District have stood up for the people of Nevada and said they will not support the Employee ‘Forced’ Choice Act, which economists have stated will result in 600,000 lost jobs in one year alone.

Unfortunately, a handful of remaining candidates have not completed the questionnaire, which would inform voters where they stand, including current Members of Congress who are seeking re-election this year, specifically Senator Harry Reid, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, Congressman Dean Heller and Congresswoman Dina Titus have decided not to return their questionnaires, leaving us with their prior votes and statements on this important issue.

“We commend those candidates who have chosen to stand with Nevada workers and small businesses in opposition to the Employee ‘Forced’ Choice Act. Nevadans receive bad news almost daily about our state’s economy and it’s encouraging to see so many candidates choosing to fight for small businesses and against this dangerous legislation,” said McKay Daniels, state director of the Alliance to Protect Nevada Jobs (APNJ).

“On the other hand, it’s disappointing to see our state’s most powerful elected official, Senator Harry Reid, continue to choose Big Labor bosses over Nevadans. He’s long supported this bill, but with the worst unemployment and income slide in the nation, record business closures, bankruptcies and foreclosures we had hoped Reid would choose to support Nevada’s job creators over national union leaders. It appears that Reid’s arguments concerning getting Nevada back to work can only be viewed as disingenuous being that he has decided to support job-killing legislation.”

In the weeks and months ahead, APNJ will be working to inform citizens about this issue and which candidates have chosen to side with Big Labor instead of putting Nevada workers and small businesses first.