Letter to Gaston Pearce, Chairman of the NLRB

Letter

Dear Chairman Gaston Pearce,

I write you today to urge the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to reconsider its decision to consolidate the Buffalo Regional NLRB Office with Pittsburgh's, and to demote the Buffalo office to a sub-regional office. This is a step toward weakening the office that is charged with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices throughout most of New York State. This consolidation is particularly concerning as it would mean that in emergency situations it would be significantly harder to find solutions to union problems. The Buffalo NLRB serves many areas across New York State including Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Binghamton, Poughkeepsie, Utica, Ithaca, Watertown, Cortland, Corning, Massena, Plattsburg, Olean, Jamestown, and Dunkirk.

As you know, the regional offices have the authority to conduct elections for labor union representation. Western New York has a greater proportion of union represented employees than Pittsburgh. For example, 14.5% of the private sector employees in the Buffalo area are union represented, while in Pittsburgh only 7.5% of the private sector employees are union represented. I urge the NLRB to maintain the status of Buffalo as a regional office, ensuring that key leadership stays in New York State. Thank you for your attention to this important matter and I look forward to working with you to quickly resolve this situation.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator

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