-By Warner Todd Huston
In an op-ed on newsblaze, Brad O’Leary gives us news of the testimony of a former union organizer that saw the intimidation of workers that the “card check” concept fosters and it pretty much confirms the common sense worries over the institution of the woefully incorrectly named “Employee Free Choice Act.”
As we’ve discussed before, the EFCA includes provisions for “card check,” a plan where union organizers can do away with the secret ballot prospective union members have always had the benefit of having in the past. The secret ballot, a most standard of democratic practices, will be eliminated giving the unions full reign to intimidate workers into agreeing with union desires since the employee’s vote will be open for everyone to see as it is cast.
As O’Leary says, “Workers questioning or unwilling to side with union organizers have been subjected to a wide range of harassment, including fear of losing their jobs, identity theft and having their families targeted.”
O’Leary also notes the testimony of a previous union organizer:
Jen Jason, a former UNITE HERE union organizer, testified before the House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions on such practices. According to Jason, “In jurisdictions in which ‘card check’ was actually legislated, organizers tended to be even more willing to harass, lie and use fear tactics to intimidate workers into signing cards.”
O’Leary provides a few other facts of note.
According to the Center for Union Facts, “Seventy-five percent of Americans think secret ballots are the most democratic method of choosing a union.” Yet Democrats in the Senate are likely to push for passage of EFCA, given their deep-pocketed support from Unions. According to USA Today, “The Democratic majority in Congress, which was elected with the help of $57.6 million in campaign contributions from unions, has pushed measures to increase wages on public projects, ease rules for unionizing workplaces and cut funding for corruption investigators.”
An Associated Television News / Zogby poll of likely voters also shows that a clear majority (78 percent) of Americans support workers’ rights to a secret ballot when deciding whether or not to unionize. According to the poll, only 15 percent side with the union bosses who want to do away with secret ballots.
Lastly, we will note that Barack Obama fully supports this undemocratic bill and has promised to make it a major item of focus for his presidency. If he gets in, workers all across the country will lose their democratic rights to the secret ballot.
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Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as newsbusters.org, townhall.com, New Media Journal, Men’s News Daily and the New Media Alliance among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of publiusforum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston