Senator Jon Husted Discusses Combating Human Trafficking in the U.S. Economy

Addressing Case Backlogs at the NLRB

• 📌 Senator Husted inquired about the increase in case backlog at the NLRB, which has risen to an average of 154 days.
• 💡 Nominee Mr. Murphy attributed the backlog to several factors, including a loss of quorum and a substantial increase in unfair labor practice charges over the past four to five years.
• 🚀 He also noted that the board's engagement in rulemaking procedures can slow down the handling of other cases.
• ✅ The plan moving forward involves addressing low-hanging fruit on a unanimous panel basis and prioritizing the oldest pending cases to clear the backlog.

Combating Labor Trafficking in the Workplace

• ⚠️ Senator Husted introduced a bipartisan piece of legislation aimed at training personnel to identify signs of human trafficking in the workplace.
• 🎯 The goal is to leverage Department of Labor personnel as the eyes and ears to identify labor trafficking cases and report them to law enforcement.
• 💬 Nominee Rosario Palmieri expressed strong support for the initiative, emphasizing the critical importance of the Department of Labor utilizing all its resources to combat this issue.
• 🤝 Palmieri committed to working with Senator Husted's office to ensure the legislation is implemented effectively.
• 🔍 The Department of Labor's vast network of inspectors in various industries (manufacturing, food processing, hospitality) is uniquely positioned to gather crucial information that can help law enforcement unravel complex trafficking networks.
• 💔 Human trafficking, particularly labor trafficking, is described as a widespread and heartbreaking scourge occurring in the hidden corners of the economy.