The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“LABOR GRINCH STEALS CHRISTMAS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H15490 on Dec. 21, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
LABOR GRINCH STEALS CHRISTMAS
(Mr. FUNDERBURK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)
Mr. FUNDERBURK. Mr. Speaker, 3 weeks ago I stood outside a Harris-
Teeter supermarket in Rocky Mount, NC, ringing the Christmas bell and collecting donations for the Salvation Army. Now, I come back to Washington, DC, to learn that many retail stores are no longer making room for kettle drives because of a recent ruling issued by the National Labor Relations Board. It seems that big labor unions--who are spending millions for TV ads against a balanced budget--feel discriminated against because the shopping centers that open their doors to the Salvation Army and other charitable organizations during the holiday season will not permit union picketing at their doorsteps. The NLRB, in its infinite wisdom, sided with the unions. Not surprisingly, many malls and shopping centers have told the Salvation Army that they would love to host kettle drives this year but they just cannot afford the enormous costs of being sued by labor unions.
Mr. Speaker, this is an outrage. This is yet another example of an out-of-touch, bloated Federal Government that doesn't care about the poor and needy who could receive a hand-up from the Salvation Army instead of a hand-out from the welfare state. Today, I am cosponsoring H.R. 2497 to stop this abuse of power by the Department of Labor. Let us stop labor unions from threatening businesses who invite bell ringers from the Salvation Army.
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