Democrats Lean Into Labor Issues

[Uncle Joe]

"Senator Bernie Sanders and a group of potential Democratic presidential contenders including Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Kirsten Gillibrand are introducing the Workplace Democracy Act, a major labor bill updating the 1935 National Labor Relations Act with new provisions on organizing rights and the gig economy. From the Washington Post:

The bill would allow employees to form a union by a majority sign-up process, rather than an election (which proponents say heightens the risk of employer meddling); require companies to negotiate with a new union within 10 days of receiving a request; mandate that workers in every state pay some dues to unions that represent them; and expand the law’s definition of “employer,” a hotly debated term as the country’s contractor workforce expands.

(snip)

There’s no chance whatsoever that the bill will be considered with Republican control of the White House in Congress. But its introduction is a signal that the party may be leaning into labor issues for elections to come, and with good reason. The Democratic lead over Republicans in the union vote dipped by 10 points from the 2012 election to 2016, and Donald Trump won the most union votes of any Republican candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Clinton’s poor showing with union households did the most damage in the Rust Belt—in Ohio, she actually lost them to Trump by 9 points, according to exit polls. This partially reflects the gradual erosion of union support for Democrats over the past few decades, which has coincided with union members shrinking as a share of the electorate (from comprising roughly a quarter of voters in 1980 to 18 percent in 2016) and as a share of the American workforce (from comprising roughly a quarter of workers in the 1950s to around 10 percent today).

This has long been bad news politically for Democrats in the white working-class regions that have been at the center of political discussion since the election, and bad news for those workers themselves economically—declining union membership is widely considered one of the culprits behind middle- and lower-class wage stagnation. According to a 2016 paper from the Economic Policy Institute, wages for nonunion men working in the private sector without high school diplomas would be 5 percent higher if union membership were at 1979 levels. They would be 8 percent higher specifically for men without a college degree.

(snip)

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/05/bernie-sanders-and-other-democrats-are-starting-to-lean-into-labor-issues.html

[elleng]

1. As well we should, Lean Into Labor Issues.

Failing this fails our entire agenda, imo.

[Uncle Joe]

2. It's good to see you elleng

[elleng]

3. Good to see YOU, Joe!

[MichMan]

4. Why is banning secret ballot elections desireable?

"The bill would allow employees to form a union by a majority sign-up process, rather than an election (which proponents say heightens the risk of employer meddling)"

Aren't secret ballot elections a foundation of every democracy?

I don't understand why unions would want to ban secret ballont elections? Seems like that would eliminate any chances of meddling, corercion, threats or intimidation by either side.

[PETRUS]

6. This proposal would reduce the "chances of meddling, corercion, threats or intimidation."

At the moment, collecting signatures (authorization cards or a petition) is a legal requirement before an election can be called. So we're not talking about introducing this as a substitute for a secret ballot - it's already part of the process.

[MichMan]

7. The proposal says no more elections, doesn't it?

Last edited Fri May 11, 2018, 05:52 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't understand how someone voting in private can be coerced to vote a certain way?

[PETRUS]

8. Apply some basic logic.

The process you are concerned represents an opening for "meddling, coercion, threats or intimidation" is already a legal requirement for the recognition of a union. In other words, this bill does not open a new window for "meddling." Elections are held after this process, which represents an extension of the time involved. More time = more opportunity for coercion.

[NCTraveler]

5. Looks like he has some people on board with different expertise than he has.

People who understand the legislative process.

That's the way to go.