Pro-business advocacy groups and various Chambers of Commerce across the nation have spent millions of dollars on consultants and PR pros in an effort to educate the public on how the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act” is really a violation of workers’ rights and a blatant union-building tool.
They should have just hired S.C. Rep. Eric Bedingfield …
In an interview with the S.C. State House Blog, the burly Upstate Republican breaks it down like this:
We don’t want an employer to show up at an employee’s house and say ‘Check this card or there are three people outside to make you understand why you should have checked it.’
Exactly.
For more on Rep. Bedingfield’s efforts to protect South Carolina workers from organized labor goon squads, click here.
Also, be sure to check out S.C. State House Blog, which boasts dozens of exclusive interviews with top S.C. policymakers.
By Pat Hendrix February 24, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I almost fell out of my chair laughing. The unions are going to show up with their goons to make people join?
Hey guys, you ever wonder why SC has one of the lowest standards living in the country and the fewest number of union members? I’m sure one has nothing to do with the other.
By Pat Hendrix February 24, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Frankly, the bigger threat is Eric Bedingfield. He and Brad Scott pose a clear and present danger to buffets across SC.
By RedBank Bar February 24, 2009 at 12:51 pm
That’s rich. Three Chins Eric obviously prefers three management goons threatening a worker inside the plant.
Workers can still ask for a secret election. All this bill does is remove the possiblity of threats from management.
By Kevin February 24, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Sic–I don’t think Eric’s comment actually makes sense. Is he trying to say that he doesn’t want a union organizer to show up at a worker’s door and threaten thug tactics? If this is his point he probably didn’t mean to use the term “employer”, because it would be the employer who would likely not want the employee to check off a box to form a union.
By Pat Hendrix February 24, 2009 at 1:11 pm
I mean, not to flog this dead horse, but just imagine this scenario:
You’re a first generation immigrant from China. You arrive in SC with $40.00 and a burning desire to build your own biz. After working your ass off for years scrubbing pots and slinging lo mein, you finally open your own restaurant. Then, like godzilla rising form the South China Sea, this 400 pound tub of stupidity squeezes through your front door and proceeds to eat you into the poor house. It could happen, people.
The Chamber needs to do something.
By Rep. Bedingfield February 24, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Do you people not understand that employers also intimidate employees to vote against unions. As a matter of fact, acccording to Hoyt Wheeler(professor at USC)most of the time it’s the employer not the union who breaks these laws in SC. All this bill does is protect a workers’ right to a secret ballot so that niether the Union or the Employer can know how the individual worker cast his ballot. This bill takes no position on whether unionizing is good or bad.
By Jonathan February 24, 2009 at 3:07 pm
How do we know the comment above is actually from Eric Bedingfield? I would guess that it is not given its tone. Why not just use your real name instead of pretending to be a State House member you punk!
By Pat Hendrix February 24, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Ugh, we were laughing at the notion that union goons were going to show up and muscle people into joining. If this is what mascarades as poltical discourse on this issue then you guys should considered playing “Bring in the Clowns” when you gavel into session? It seems appropriate.
By RedBank Bar February 24, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Workers have the right to a secret ballot. All the Free Choice legislation does is say the Employer can’t demand it. This eliminates the period before an election when the Employer intimidates it’s workers. If a majority signs up, the Employer can’t demand the opportunity to send their goons after workers.
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