A provision of a pro-labor union bill that would strip workers of their right to a secret ballot is being removed, the sponsor of the legislation said yesterday.
The controversial “card-check” component of the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act” doesn’t have the votes to break a filibuster in the U.S. Senate, chief sponsor Tom Harkin has acknowledged.
From Bloomberg:
The legislation stalled in the Senate after several lawmakers whose votes would be needed to overcome Republican opposition, such as Sen. Blanche Lincoln, an Arkansas Democrat, said they would not support the measure. Companies such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., of Bentonville, Ark., have led opposition.
Harkin said he hoped changes to the bill would gain “maybe the grudging support of labor and maybe the grudging support of some businesses.”
Labor groups spent $100 million last year to elect Democrats and have made passing the card-check measure their top goal in Washington this year. President Obama supports the bill. The legislation doesn’t have enough backing in the Senate to overcome efforts by Republican opponents to block a vote.
A softened version of the bill may attract support from more lawmakers, Harkin said.
“Many do feel there is an imbalance” in current laws that favor business over labor, Harkin said.
Whatever.
The only imbalance is that the private sector has flat out rejected unions (their private sector membership has plummeted to just 7.6%) whereas the government has embraced them to the tune of 36.8% of its workforce, according to the latest Department of Labor statistics.
In other words, where there’s been a real choice, people have said “no” to organized labor.
More importantly, this is America, jack. Whether you’re voting for President or dog-catcher, you have a right to a secret ballot.
That becomes especially important when you’re dealing with folks who have a history of intimidation and less-than-savory “recruiting” tactics.
Of course, getting rid of “card-check” is just part of the fight to protect the American worker from this legislation … there are still some incredibly dangerous provisions that would dramatically enhance government’s role in the private sector negotiating process to the deteriment of both shareholders and employees.
Stay tuned for more on that …
By Jamie Sanderson May 5, 2009 at 12:36 pm
All wrong here. You really should learn not to compare secret ballots to the voting we do in the United States for elected office. The Employee Free Choice Act does not abolish elections. Under the proposed legislation, workers get to choose the union formation process—elections or majority sign-up. What the Employee Free Choice Act does prevent is an employer manipulating the flawed system to influence the election outcome.
When faced with organizing campaigns: 25 percent of employers illegally fire pro-union workers; 51 percent of employers illegally threaten to close down worksites if the union prevails; and, 34 percent of employers coerce workers into opposing the union with bribes and favoritism.
Current union elections involving secret ballots bear no resemblance to political elections. Workers’ free speech rights are squelched, employers practice various forms of economic coercion, and labor law allows employers to indefinitely delay recognition through drawn-out appeals. Says University of Oregon political scientist Gordon Lafer, “The presence of secret ballots can’t overcome the corrupt nature of NLRB elections.”
Hope this helps.
By RedBank Bar May 5, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Just another lie from Will Folks. Workers have the right to a secret ballot even with this bill. The bill only says the Wally Worlds of the US can’t invoke it.
By fitsnews May 5, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Jamie,
Your stats are obviously from the ghost of Hoffa. In fact, our research has determined Hoffa’s ghost is 100% responsible for them.
RBB,
You are right, workers do have a secret ballot option at the moment – and will continue to, now that the card-check provision has been removed.
-FITS
By The "Man" May 5, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Is this the federal law that requires all states to recognize public safety employee unions and their right to negotiate even in right to work states such as South Carolina? The secret ballot would be completely irrelevant.
By FarLeftRx May 6, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Jamie, I too just conferred with Jimmy Hoffa in his crypt at the Meadlowlands and he affirmed that you are lying just as any good union goon would. I’ve studied and blogged about the EFCA for months, and one thing I know for sure is that no union organizer in his or her right mind would ever call for an election whe s/he can unionize with 50.000000000000001 percent of the employees’ signing cards. The only way the workers can request a secret ballot, election, smelection, whatever you want to call it, is after the company has been unionized. They can then collect 50.000000000000001 percent of the employees’ signatures to call for a vote for decertification. Up until the union is in place, the organizers alone are the ones who can call for an election. Even the Soviets managed to hold elections (rigged, of course), but the EFCA takes us into 1984. What’s next if this doesn’t work? Voice vote with CDs’ blaring yes over the heads of the assembled workers?
By DanR May 8, 2009 at 1:23 pm
This bill will only open the door to deception, harassment, or worse actions. This can still come back in another form in another bill. Reaching out to your elected officials is the best way to defeat this. It’s not over yet. I was on the US Chamber’s site and found this letter you can send to the folks in Congress if you have a spare moment: http://capwiz.com/friendsoftheuschamber/issues/alert/?alertid=12426031. We need to make sure every worker has the freedom to choose what’s best for themselves and their families.