CBIA: Attorney General Jepsen Formal Opinion Reinforces Business Community Arguments

CBIA issued the following statement today: 
Today’s formal opinion issued by Attorney General George Jepsen on HB 5473 reinforces the business community’s arguments: The National Labor Relations Act protects employer-employee communications and, therefore, preempts this bill.
Although the attorney general’s opinion has now made passage of the so-called captive audience bill unlikely, if enacted, the proposal would prevent discussions in mandatory workplace meetings between employers and employees of any issues related to community engagement, unionization, wages and benefits, working conditions, and even legislation or regulations that could impact the business.
In addition to being an unnecessary and impermissible restriction on the free speech rights of employers, the bill also distracts from the most important issue facing Connecticut and its policymakers – the urgent need to spur business investment and job creation in the state.
We urge the legislature to reject HB 5473.

CBIA is Connecticut’s largest business organization, with thousands of member companies, small and large, representing a diverse range of industries from every part of the state. For more information, please email or call Meaghan MacDonald (860.244.1957).