Temporary reprieve

The National Labor Relations Board has put on hold its order that private businesses do the bidding of Big Labor and slap up posters around the workplace that essentially promote unionization.

But it's only temporary.

The proposal represents an egregious overstep highlighting how thoroughly anti-business interests have come to dominate this panel under President Obama.

With private-sector membership numbers continuing to plummet, organized labor views the NLRB as a blunt instrument with which it can bludgeon businesses, bypass Congress and rewrite the rule book, making it easier to unionize.

The rule in question was long sought by labor leaders in their drive to gain access to employees on the job. It requires virtually all private companies to post an 11-by-17-inch notice explaining a worker's right to bargain collectively, distribute union literature and engage in other union activities without reprisal.

But NLRB spokeswoman Nancy Cleeland said there was too much confusion surrounding the new rule, which was supposed to go into effect on Nov. 14. Instead, enforcement will be pushed back to Jan. 14 as the panel clarifies the mandate. "We got a lot of calls from various businesses that are just not familiar with this law and are not aware they even fall under our jurisdiction," Ms. Cleeland said.

Really? Some business owners aren't aware that a panel of unelected bureaucrats has the power to force employers to post union propaganda on private property?

How quaint.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Federation of Independent Businesses have all sued to block the rule, challenging the NLRB's authority to codify such a demand. And while the NLRB's move buys businesses a few more months, let's hope the courts offer a more permanent solution and toss this proposal in the trash heap where it belongs.