H.R. 986, TRIBAL LABOR SOVEREIGNTY ACT OF 2017 HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EMPLOYMENT, LABOR, AND PENSIONS COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 29, 2017 Serial No. 115–12 Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and the Workforce ( Available via the World Wide Web: www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/committee.action?chamber=house&committee=education or Committee address: http://edworkforce.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 24–757 PDF WASHINGTON : 2018 VerDate Mar 15 2010 11:49 Sep 25, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 C:\USERS\NWILLIAMS\DESKTOP\E&W JACKETS\24757.TXT CANDRA CEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE VIRGINIA FOXX, North Carolina, Chairwoman Joe Wilson, South Carolina Robert C. ‘‘Bobby’’ Scott, Virginia Duncan Hunter, California Ranking Member David P. Roe, Tennessee Susan A. Davis, California Glenn ‘‘GT’’ Thompson, Pennsylvania Rau´ l M. Grijalva, Arizona Tim Walberg, Michigan Joe Courtney, Connecticut Brett Guthrie, Kentucky Marcia L. Fudge, Ohio Todd Rokita, Indiana Jared Polis, Colorado Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, Luke Messer, Indiana Northern Mariana Islands Bradley Byrne, Alabama Frederica S. Wilson, Florida David Brat, Virginia Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin Mark Takano, California Steve Russell, Oklahoma Alma S. Adams, North Carolina Elise Stefanik, New York Mark DeSaulnier, California Rick W. Allen, Georgia Donald Norcross, New Jersey Jason Lewis, Minnesota Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware Francis Rooney, Florida Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois Paul Mitchell, Michigan Carol Shea-Porter, New Hampshire Tom Garrett, Jr., Virginia Adriano Espaillat, New York Lloyd K. Smucker, Pennsylvania A. Drew Ferguson, IV, Georgia Brandon Renz, Staff Director Denise Forte, Minority Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EMPLOYMENT, LABOR, AND PENSIONS TIM WALBERG, Michigan, Chairman Joe Wilson, South Carolina Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, David P. Roe, Tennessee Northern Mariana Islands Todd Rokita, Indiana Ranking Member Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania Frederica S. Wilson, Florida Rick W. Allen, Georgia Donald Norcross, New Jersey Jason Lewis, Minnesota Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware Francis Rooney, Florida Carol Shea-Porter, New Hampshire Paul Mitchell, Michigan Adriano Espaillat, New York Lloyd K. Smucker, Pennsylvania Joe Courtney, Connecticut A. Drew Ferguson, IV, Georgia Marcia L. Fudge, Ohio Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon (II) VerDate Mar 15 2010 11:49 Sep 25, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\USERS\NWILLIAMS\DESKTOP\E&W JACKETS\24757.TXT CANDRA CEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER CONTENTS Page Hearing held on March 29, 2017 ............................................................................ 1 Statement of Members: Sablan, Hon. Gregorio Kilili Camacho, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions ............................................ 6 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 7 Walberg, Hon. Tim, Chairman, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions ...................................................................................... 1 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 3 Statement of Witnesses: Brown, Mr. Nathaniel, Delegate, 23rd Navajo Nation Council, The Navajo Nation ............................................................................................................ 19 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 21 Cladoosby, Mr. Brian, President, National Congress Of American Indians, and Chair, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community ...................................... 8 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 11 Gribbon, Mr. John, California Political, Director, UNITEHERE! Inter- national Union, AFL-CIO ............................................................................. 25 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 27 Welch, Mr. Robert J. Jr., Chairman, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians .... 31 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 33 Additional Submissions: Mr. Cladoosby: Letter dated April 12, 2017, from National Congress of American Indians .................................................................................................... 61 Courtney, Hon. Joe, a Representative in Congress from the State of Connecticut: Letter from UAW Local 2121 ................................................................... 65 Mr. Gribbon response to questions submitted for the record ................ 95 Lewis, Hon. Jason, a Representative in Congress from the State of Min- nesota: Letter dated March 29, 2017, from the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America ............................................................... 68 Mr. Sablan: Letter dated March 27, 2017, from United Steelworkers (USW) .......... 70 Letter from International Labor Office (ILO) ......................................... 72 Letter dated March 28, 2017, from International Union of Operating Engineers ................................................................................................ 75 2010 Blackfeet Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance and Safety En- forcement Act of 2010 ............................................................................ 76 Questions submitted for the record .........................................................92, 94 Scott, Hon. Robert C. ‘‘Bobby’’, a Representative in Congress from the State of Virginia: Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 78 Chairman: Walberg: Slide: Protecting Tribal Sovereignty ........................................................ 5 Prepared statement from the Morongo Band of Mission Indians ......... 82 Prepared statement of Hon. Larry Romanelli, Ogema, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians ........................................................................ 85 (III) VerDate Mar 15 2010 11:49 Sep 25, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\USERS\NWILLIAMS\DESKTOP\E&W JACKETS\24757.TXT CANDRA CEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER VerDate Mar 15 2010 11:49 Sep 25, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\USERS\NWILLIAMS\DESKTOP\E&W JACKETS\24757.TXT CANDRA CEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER H.R. 986, TRIBAL LABOR SOVEREIGNTY ACT OF 2017 Wednesday, March 29, 2017 House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:00 a.m., in Room 2175, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Tim Walberg [chair- man of the subcommittee] presiding. Present: Representatives Walberg, Roe, Rokita, Allen, Lewis, Mitchell, Smucker, Ferguson, Sablan, Wilson of Florida, Norcross, Blunt Rochester, Shea-Porter, Espaillat, and Courtney. Also Present: Representatives Foxx and Scott. Staff Present: Bethany Aronhalt, Press Secretary; Andrew Banducci, Workforce Policy Counsel; Ed Gilroy, Director of Work- force Policy; Jessica Goodman, Legislative Assistant; Callie Har- man, Legislative Assistant; Nancy Locke, Chief Clerk; Geoffrey MacLeay, Professional Staff Member; John Martin, Professional Staff Member; Dominique McKay, Deputy Press Secretary; James Mullen, Director of Information Technology; Krisann Pearce, Gen- eral Counsel; Alissa Strawcutter, Deputy Clerk; Joseph Wheeler, Professional Staff Member; Tylease Alli, Minority Clerk/Intern and Fellow Coordinator; Austin Barbera, Minority Press Assistant; Mi- chael DeMale, Minority Labor Detailee; Denise Forte, Minority Staff Director; Nicole Fries, Minority Labor Policy Associate; Chris- tine Godinez, Minority Staff Assistant; Stephanie Lalle, Minority Press Assistant; Kevin McDermott, Minority Senior Labor Policy Advisor; Richard Miller, Minority Senior Labor Policy Advisor; Veronique Pluviose, Minority General Counsel; and Elizabeth Wat- son, Minority Director of Labor Policy. Chairman WALBERG. A quorum being present, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions will come to order. Good morning to everyone here today, the committee as well as our witnesses, and those attending to hear what is going on. We thank you. I would like to begin by extending a warm welcome to our distin- guished panel of witnesses, including leaders of tribal governments. We are fortunate to have you all with us today, and look forward to hearing from you. This hearing is about one basic principle: the sovereign rights of Native Americans must be protected. A simple statement, it is a (1) VerDate Mar 15 2010 11:49 Sep 25, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 C:\USERS\NWILLIAMS\DESKTOP\E&W JACKETS\24757.TXT CANDRA CEWDOCROOM with DISTILLER 2 simple principle. There are complex things surrounding it, but we hope to sort some of those out today. This core principle is woven deep into the fabric of our shared history. It is part of who we are as a society, and has long defined the unique government-to-government relationship that exists be- tween the United States and independent tribal nations. What does tribal sovereignty mean? It means that Native Amer- ican tribes