Tom Blumer wrote USA Today Reporter: ‘Card Check’ in Union Organizing Is an ‘Open Process’ that he cross posted at News Busters.  He does a wonderful job of laying out the facts of the deceitful way USA Today’s Sue Kirchoff, in an article Wednesday , “mischaracterizes a law that would move the union organizing process away from secret-ballot elections, and makes it sound like an improvement in representative government.” 

From USA Today:

The AFL-CIO :.. is looking ahead to a second bill that sponsors call the “Employee Free Choice Act.”

The bill would make it easier for unions to gain representation through an open process in which workers sign cards, in addition to secret ballot elections. Currently, the National Labor Relations Board oversees a secret ballot after a union or employer meets requirements to seek one. An employer can also recognize a union if a majority of workers sign authorizing cards.

:.. “The bill would allow more workers to bargain for their entry into the American middle class,” says Stewart Acuff, AFL-CIO national organizing director.

About 70% to 80% of new workers organized every year come into unions via a process other than traditional elections, a big shift from 5% about 20 years ago. Unions say that under the traditional ballot process, companies often try to delay the process or intimidate workers.

Tom states:

• the bill in question will eliminate secret-ballot elections in most contested situations, because union organizers will prefer the peer pressure-driven method of getting workers to sign authorizing cards. 
• Ms. Kirchoff’s article also fails to explain why the bill is even necessary in light of the move away from “traditional elections.”

In short, the Unions are using the very same intimidation tactics that they fought against in the 1930’s. Tim Kane, Ph.D., and James Sherk, wrote Unions in Decline and Under Review, which was published in August 2006.  It does a great job in highlighting the dilemma facing modern American unions.

One Response to “Unions Look To Democrats To Hijack The Organizing Process”

1. Tom Blumer
   January 10, 2007 - 02:06 PM on January 10th, 2007

   Thanks for the nice words. The legislation really is appalling. I hope employers aren’t asleep, and I hope Bush isn’t either.

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