AH&LA Supports Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) issued the following statement supporting the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee mark-up of HR 3459, Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act, which would reestablish a clear and concise definition of a joint employer under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The legislation, which passed through committee by a vote of 21-15, serves as an immediate response to the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) Browning-Ferris Industries of California ruling that significantly expanded the joint employer definition. The legislation was introduced by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (MN-2).

“The hotel industry provides unique opportunities for those who own and operate their own businesses to achieve the American Dream, but NLRB’s new definition of joint employers could jeopardize that dream for so many of our members,” said AH&LA President and CEO Katherine Lugar. “With the 92 percent of lodging properties in the United States owned by franchisees and small businesses, our franchisees are not taking this ruling lightly. To date, nearly 2,000 letters from hotel owners have been sent to more than 315 congressional offices encouraging lawmakers to support and vote on this important piece of legislation.

“We applaud the swift actions of Chairman Kline and the House Education and Workforce Committee for passing the bill through committee, and we encourage leadership to bring the bill to the House floor for a vote and urge the Senate to do the same. It is imperative to reverse the NLRB’s ruling and we will work to educate Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle of these adversarial impacts. Public policy should be empowering business growth and the entrepreneurial spirit, not suppressing them.”

AH&LA co-chairs the Coalition to Save Local Businesses (CSLB), comprised of small and local businesses, concerned citizens and trade organizations, to inform Members of Congress about the potentially devastating impact that redefining the joint employer standard would have on the U.S. economy. To review a fact sheet on the impact of the NLRB’s joint-employer ruling, please click here.