The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) has released a new white paper examining federal labor policy proposals that the organization says could negatively impact small businesses and their employees. The document, titled “Direct Assault on Main Street: Looming Labor Threats That Could Decimate Small Businesses and Their Workforce,” reviews several bipartisan measures currently under consideration in Congress.
“Congress is considering bipartisan policy proposals that would directly threaten small businesses and their workforce,” said Dylan Rosnick, NFIB Principal of Federal Government Relations and the white paper’s lead author. “These anti-small business policies would significantly increase government involvement in the daily operations of small businesses, add to the weight of harmful mandates, and raise the costs of hiring and keeping qualified employees. It’s time for lawmakers in Washington to stop using small businesses as political pawns and instead let them grow and flourish without heavy-handed government regulations.”
The white paper identifies seven specific federal proposals as potential threats to Main Street businesses. These include the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act (H.R. 20 / S. 852), which aims to expand collective bargaining rights; the Warehouse Worker Protection Act (H.R. 4896 / S. 2613); the Faster Labor Contracts Act (S. 844); proposed increases to the minimum wage; new Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards regarding heat exposure for workers; changes to how independent contractors are classified by the Department of Labor; and OSHA’s Worker Walkaround Rule.
NFIB describes itself as a nonprofit, nonpartisan group dedicated solely to representing small and independent business owners across all 50 states since its founding in 1943. More information about its advocacy work can be found at https://www.nfib.com/.
