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| Posted by: Dan McGrath |
3/6/2009 |
 So-called “card check” legislation has been the focal point of much heated debate over the past several months. Union organizers have been pushing hard for legislation that would eliminate the option to organize unions by a secret ballot. Currently, employers can chose to recognize a “card check” vote by employees, or to require a secret ballot administered by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on efforts to unionize labor at their business.
There are two competing pieces of legislation moving through congress on this subject. The ironically named “Employee Free Choice Act” pushed by union leaders would outlaw secret ballots. The “Secret Ballot Protection Act” requires a secret ballot on a vote to unionize. President Obama has offered his assurances that the former will pass and he intends to sign it into law.
Most Americans will readily recognize the importance of secret ballots. It’s how we elect all of our public officials. Secrecy keeps us free from coercion, pressure, intimidation, threats, bribery or blackmail. Every American knows that they can freely vote according to their conscience with confidence that nothing ill will befall them for their choice of candidates.
Unions despise the secret ballot process, because when given the choice free from pressure by union organizers, more often than not, workers vote not to be represented by a labor union. Currently, only 8% of the nation’s workforce is unionized. This is the lowest union membership in modern history. This appears to be a large part of the reason unions are pushing to eliminate secret ballots on the question of unionizing.
Polls in state after state demonstrate that Americans believe in protecting secret ballots. The issue garners 75% - 80% support for preserving secret ballots. Even the majority of union members favor a secret ballot. Why, then would elected legislators, and the president of the United States decide to proceed with “card check” legislation, defying the will of the people? Is this payback to union leaders for election year support?
A growing group of US representatives have signed on to the Secret Ballot Protection Act to try to preserve the right of workers to chose whether to unionize or not by secret ballot.
Take Action: Minnesota’s congressional delegation breaks down party lines on this issue. Contact your US representative, and let him or her know how you feel about protecting secret ballots.
District 1: Tim Walz (DFL) - Opposes Secret Ballots.
District 2: John Kline (R) - Supports Secret Ballots
District 3: Erik Paulsen (R) - Supports Secret Ballots
District 4: Betty McCollum (DFL) - Opposes Secret Ballots
District 5: Keith Ellison (DFL) - Opposes Secret Ballots
District 6: Michele Bachmann (R) - Supports Secret Ballots
District 7: Collin Peterson (DFL) - Opposes Secret Ballots
District 8: Jim Oberstar (DFL) - Opposes Secret Ballots |
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Re: Unions to Force Elimination of Secret Ballot |
By Steve Hansmann on
3/13/2009 |
| First of all, it's surprising to see republicans giving any support to unions, at all. As a party, you guys revile and hate labor unions and pray for them to fail, permanently. But forced elimination of secret ballots? That's almost as ridiculous as "the Death Tax", which should be correctly assigned "Rich Folks Welfare Tax". Secret ballots are a joke. Business owners know exactly who is for, and against the union, and harrass, torment, demote, denigrate and fire those involved in union activities. What the free choice act does is vastly speed up the time to get to arbitration, thus severely limiting the time for management to destroy the union. And yes, as someone who actually works for a living, I've been subject to this abuse a number of times, once to the point where I had to, in private without witnesses, threaten a manger to leave me alone. Republicans aren't learning anything at all, which I think is great. Your self-serving hatred of the working class and unions coupled with your entirely and obviously false "support" of the middle-class has doomed you guys. Again, thank God. |
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Re: Unions to Force Elimination of Secret Ballot |
By dan.mcgrath on
3/13/2009 |
| Steve, your comments make absolutely no sense. Any thinking person will realize that a secret ballot affords a person protection rather than opening them up to harassment. If the ballot is open to public viewing, union organizers and employers can both harass workers into voting one way or the other, and verify compliance. With a secret ballot, a worker can easily agree with anyone publicly and then vote whatver way they want. |
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Re: Unions to Force Elimination of Secret Ballot |
By Steve Hansmann on
4/7/2009 |
Dan,
I don't think you've ever gone through the unionization process; I have, a number of times. There has never been "union goons" threatening or coercing people. We learned early on that pro-management employees reported every conversation, every casual remark, both on and off the job, that they could. This led to the literal persecution of pro-union employees. I'm an RN, and in one rural nursing home I worked at, management literally fired well over half the nurses in favor of the union, (The facility was Green Acres Country Care Center in North Branch MN). I stayed just long enought to vote for the union, then quit, and told management why I was quitting.
There is nothing in the proposed law that requires you to not vote privately. You can fill out a membership card and send it in, you can do it by yourself, with friends, and with union organizers. It's not the same thing as voting for a political candidate. You're voting for an organization, quite a difference. And as a life-long union member, (I've been in law-enforcement, construction, and most recently, health care unions), I can tell you, without reservation, that I find nothing but positives in this act and pray it passes. I'm sorry you don't understand the bill. |
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Re: Unions to Force Elimination of Secret Ballot |
By Barb on
4/7/2009 |
| Those that oppose are foes of freedom, liberty and protection! Spoiled brats called democrats! Who will beat you up to shut you up or make it so you can't open your mouth at all. GET RID OF UNIONS. A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY WITH NO PURPOSE! |
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Re: Unions to Force Elimination of Secret Ballot |
By dan.mcgrath on
4/7/2009 |
| Steve - I've personally been harrassed by "union goons," so your remarks don't hold much water for me. In the 90's, I worked as a house painter for a time, and later operated my own painting company. Both as an employee and as an owner of a non-union painting company, I experienced threats and harassment from "union goons." I do fully understand the bill, and the implications of exposing an individual's vote to unionize or not to scrutiny by company bosses, and union organizers. Not good. |
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Re: Unions to Force Elimination of Secret Ballot |
By Steve Hansmann on
4/21/2009 |
Mr. McGrath,
I'm sorry you had that experience. But my guess is you didn't lose your job, and as the "union goons" had no real power over your job, my guess is, in the end, it didn't affect you very much. There's nothing like the experience of dozens of people I personally know who have been threatened, had their working hours and shifts changed, have been demoted, and fired, for no reason except they supported unionization, and in two cases, fired because management thought they supported unionization, which they actually didn't. And the businesses I worked for that were so anti-union? All are now unionized, none have gone out of business. The only difference now is that most of their employees now hate them because of what they, (management) did. When you can show me proof of the harm unionization has done, even to you, other than being inconvenienced, then maybe your remarks will hold some water for me. |
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Re: Unions to Force Elimination of Secret Ballot |
By dan.mcgrath on
4/21/2009 |
| I'd say that terroristic threats against my personal safety and property go beyond being inconvenienced. A former employer had equipment destroyed by union "organizers." |
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Re: Unions to Force Elimination of Secret Ballot |
By Steve Hansmann on
4/22/2009 |
Mr. McGrath,
Again, I'm honestly sorry you had that experience. But again, how many owners/managers are negatively affected compared to workers? And how did your former employer know his equipment was destroyed by union organizers? Maybe because I haven't had upper managerial experience explains my lack of sympathy for management, have you Mr. McGrath been a worker subject to incompetent and predatory management? Remember, unions, like divorce, do not come to a happy family. I've worked for several hospitals, for instance, where, because employees are treated fairly and equitably, that unions have had not chance, for many years, of gaining a foothold. Examples? Gillette Children's Specialty Health Care in St. Paul, Therapeutic Community Residence Inc. in Lindstrom MN to name but two. |
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