Union 'vote' at Wal-Mart rebuffed (Walmart won't let employees vote)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business-13/124833784918880.xml&coll=2

Thursday, July 23, 2009
Olivera Perkins
Plain Dealer Reporter

They rushed across the Steelyard Commons parking lot Wednesday morning, pushing toward Wal-Mart with a makeshift voting booth and ballot box.

The five members of Cleveland Jobs with Justice, a pro-union coalition of labor, community and faith organizations, said they wanted to give workers at the giant nonunion retailer a straw vote on whether to unionize.

In all, about 45 people took part in the demonstration, which actually was organized to support the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill before Congress that would make it easier for unions to organize.

Central to the bill is a provision known as card check, which would allow unions to be recognized if a majority of workers signed union cards. The bill would remove employers' current right to demand that workers instead hold a secret-ballot election to ratify a union. (The card check provision probably will be dropped under a potential compromise.)

Much of the corporate community, including Wal-Mart, has lobbied against the bill. They say a secret-ballot election is the only democratic way to decide.

"Many of our associates don't seem to feel union membership would be a better deal," said national Wal-Mart spokeswoman Daphne Moore.

FULL story at link.