(Washington, D.C. February 10, 2015) - The American Hotel & Lodging Association, the sole national association representing all segments of the 1.8 million-employee lodging industry, has joined in the launch of a new coalition today made up of local business owners, along with other small-business leaders and others who are concerned that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will expand the definition of joint employer, ultimately undermining the employer-employee relationship and diminishing the autonomy millions of small business owners currently have over their own business.

"The hotel industry remains a bright spot in today's economy, and provides incredible opportunities for those who own and operate their own businesses to achieve the American Dream. If the NLRB is successful at expanding the definition of joint employer, then these opportunities will be put in jeopardy, and many of these small business owners will lose their ability to make decisions about what is best for the men and women they work with every day. The National Labor Relations Board must encourage and empower businesses, not stifle them," said Katherine Lugar, President and CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

The Coalition to Save Local Businesses (CSLB) aims to inform Members of Congress about the potentially devastating impact that redefining the joint employer standard would have on the U.S. economy. The American Hotel & Lodging Association supports the goals of the coalition to seek Congressional support for legislation that would codify the current and long-standing definition of what constitutes a joint employer.

Expanding the joint employer definition would have wide-ranging consequences for local businesses throughout the country. Should the NLRB adopt a broader definition of joint employer, the stability and consistency on which businesses rely in order to succeed will be severely threatened. The Coalition to Save Local Businesses is led by more than a dozen co-chairs from around the country and is supported by a growing number of small business owners, concerned citizens and trade associations and their members.