Finally a truthful letter to the editor about the Employee Free Choice Act;
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would make it easier for workers to join unions, is that the act would take away a worker’s right to a secret ballot. This is false.
Yes, but it doesn’t stop Republicans and Big business lobbying groups from continually lying about it.
Opponents of the Employee Free Choice Act are entitled to their opinions but not to distort the facts to serve their purpose.
Let’s have a real discussion about the act without the lies or misinformation.
American workers deserve that much.
Yes they do, and that’s what scares the shit out of the other side. I would love to see a debate between John Thune and a State Union leader. It would be fun to watch Ironic Johnny squirm and sweat.
Bullshit. The EFCA DOES IN FACT remove the option for a secret ballot if they can convince (read: intimidate) over 50.000001% of the workers to sign their union card.
This is just a way to make it legal for Guido and his New Jersey cousins to show up on the doorstep of an employee and “obtain” a signature, thus enacting union labor.
If this passes, you can bet your ass you’ll see increased intimidation and pressure on non-union employees to sign. I don’t see it ending well, and someday when the Republicans regain control of Congress and decide to push the pendulum back the other direction it is going to get ugly for the unions.
They are abusing their power because they have the support in Congress, but rest assured that abuse of power will result in massive corruption just as it always has.
“If this passes, you can bet your ass you’ll see increased intimidation and pressure on non-union employees to sign.”
Doesn’t everyone have freewill to do as they wish in this country? If someone tells you to jump off a cliff, would you do it. Nothing says somebody has to sign the card. It’s kind of like a Jehovah showing up to you door, you can either listen to their BS or you can slam the door on their faces.
The only one intimidating people is the COC, and they know it.
Give me a break. You know intimidation does happen, and you can claim you are above it but when you get an angry group of guys approaching you telling you to sign your card or else….what do you honestly think you would do?
It is easy to say you wouldn’t sign and that it is a free country, but under threats people do what they are told to do, and that is exactly why the pro-union lobby slipped this in. They know it will increase membership for no other reason than people won’t have the option of voting no in private and they don’t want to be known as “that guy” who refused to sign and therefore the first one to have an ‘accident’ or be fired when the union comes in.
It’s disgusting. There is no reasonable excuse to eliminate a private ballot. Change the way the process works to allow voting for unions easier by all means, but keep the private vote in place to ensure every American has the right to choose his or her own destiny without fear of reprisal from either side.
Anything less than a private vote is undemocratic and contrary to what our system of government was setup to protect.
Forming a union and voting for a public servant are two totally different things. I don’t think much of that argument.
Well both forms of voting would be / will be vastly impacted if the ability to vote in private is removed.
Do you think for a second the results of a vote would be the same if someone else was looking over your shoulder when you cast your ballot? I think not. Many people are easily intimidated, so why this strong desire to take away privacy?
How anyone can’t see this as forced intimidation is beyond me. That is the only reason they are pushing it… because the unions KNOW it will work and it will allow them to gain union members.
The real loser here is the worker. Again.
Shocker.
There’s two major problems with this bill: 1. Sure, it give the option of a secret ballot or card check, but why on earth would a Union organizer push for a vote when all he really needs to do is get the 50.01% of the employees to sign? The cards have no expiration date nor is there any notification of Management required. So this opens the door to bribery, intimidation or simply misleading people into joining without getting managment’s side.
2. It also puts a 120 day window on negotiations where if no deal is reached a Fed comes in and writes your contract for you. No arbitration, no appeal, just here ya go & deal with it. So why would any Union negiatiate in good faith when they can ask for the moon, wait 120 days and probably get it.
This bill will cripple small businesses which are the ones who always lead the Economy out of recessions.
The bill won’t pass in it’s current state. Obama has even said that. There will be concessions by big and small business. You have to remember who butter’s our legislator’s bread, and it is not the average worker. I have a feeling the Dems will cave on many concessions and it will be a watered down EFCA or not pass at all. Sen. Abourek said it best in column not to long ago, Dems are no different then Repubs when it comes to taking money from lobbyists. Don’t expect the world to tip on its axis IF Obama signs it.
Here’s the deal, if you truly are against unholy alliances between notoriously corrupt organizations and the political class, than you simply cannot be in favor of this piece of shit Bill and remain consistent. Per the NY Times, the Unions & their PAC’s dumped $450 million into the Obama & many other Democrat’s campaigns in the laste election cycle. In the final days of the campaign Union “volunteers” reached 17 million households in 32 states via phone or visit. Union membership has been on the decline in every sector for decades, except the Federal Employee’s Unions. They can’t grow naturally, especially since the grease they smear comes from the Pension funds which were mostly in the toilet even before the last 8 months’ market correction. These guys stack the deck and deal from the bottom. I’ve seen it firsthand.
This bill is politcal payback of the worst kind and shame on Herseth & Johnson for supporting it.
Oh, not all Unions are corrupt, just like not all corporations are corrupt. It depends on who is in charge. I hope the debate over the bill is lively in DC. I hope both sides show the truth about each other’s ‘buiness practices’. I think it would be good for Americans to see how Unions and Corporations treat workers.