Mittler decries “gotcha” attitude during House hearing.

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National Tooling and Machining Association member Mike Mittler told a Congressional hearing that small manufacturers are concerned about recent actions by the National Labor Relations Board which he believes will create animosity in the workplace and weaken manufacturing without helping those they seek to support – the employees.

Mittler, who is President of Mittler Brothers Machine and Tool in Wright City, Mo., testified at a hearing of the House Committee on Small Business on “Adding to Uncertainty: The Impact of DOL/NLRB Decisions and Proposed Rules on Small Business.”

“We have noticed a significant shift in the way federal regulators approach their relationship with manufacturers. It feels like we have moved from an environment of cooperation to one where agencies have a ‘gotcha’ attitude,” Mittler told the committee.

Mittler pointed to the NLRB as an agency that “missed the President’s memo” requiring all agencies to conduct a full review of the impact and effectiveness of new and existing regulations.

“It continues to astound me when the government takes the approach that the only way to a better, safer, and happier work environment is to join a union,” he said. “For small businesses, it is quite the opposite.

“Employees have the freedom and flexibility to be partners with the owners and get the job done right and get it done fast,” said Mittler. “Add the poster rule to the new quick election process the NLRB is imposing and you begin to create a more hostile work environment where employers and employees no longer feel they can openly communicate.”

Mittler expressed concerns about the impact of NLRB rulings on his customers. “If those larger manufacturers, for whom my employees make parts, close their doors due to a hostile environment for manufacturing companies, all the families at Mittler Brothers Machine and Tool will suffer.”

Mittler urged Congress to help keep U.S. manufacturing globally competitive. “At a time when manufacturing is leading the way in our economic recovery, we need the support of Washington to make us more globally competitive, to promote a positive workplace, and to strengthen manufacturing in America.”

- Edited by Chris Vavra, Plant Engineering, www.plantengineering.com