Huffington Post: Employee Free Choice Act Gives Workers a Fair and Democratic Chance to Form Unions

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-rosenthal/employee-free-choice-act_b_162949.html

Posted February 1, 2009

The Employee Free Choice Act, the legislation supported by President Obama and large majorities of both houses of congress WILL NOT ELIMINATE SECRET BALLOTS IN UNION REPRESENTATION ELECTIONS (PERIOD).

Opponents like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a range of right-wing front groups led by disciples of George W. Bush, Karl Rove, and Grover Norquist -- the folks who got the country in the mess we're in right now -- want to try to make this a debate about "secret ballots." They cry crocodile tears for workers they claim are being denied their American rights to a democratic election. But, the fact is, the Employee Free Choice Act is democratic - and it puts the choice of how workers form unions in workers' hands, not big corporations - and that's why these guys are really crying.

Let's look at how union representation elections are currently conducted, and how the deck is stacked against workers in winning the right to unite together into a union. Anyone who thinks this is a fair and democratic process has obviously never been involved in it.

Violation of Democracy #1: In order to have a union election, 30% of workers need to sign cards calling for an election. If that principle were applied to American presidential elections, we would have needed 70 million Americans to sign cards calling for last November's national election.

Violation of Democracy #2: Once 30% sign cards calling for an election it can take months - sometimes years, sometimes never - because of arcane rules that allow companies to file objections that lead to countless electoral delays, before the workers actually have a chance to vote in an election. It's usually in the interest of companies to sap the momentum from an organizing drive and delay an election as long as possible. Imagine if a candidate kept trying to push off Election Day in the hopes that the political climate would become more favorable or his opponent would give up - that's what the current process allows companies to do. In fact, it took a 15 year organizing battle to finally unionize the Smithfield Packing slaughterhouse in Tar Heel, NC.

Violation of Democracy #3: During the run-up to the election the union is not allowed to campaign on the company's property - which can mean not only the workplace but company-owned property such as parking lots. Meanwhile, the company is free to campaign anywhere it wants and can paper the workplace with anti-union messages. Imagine an election for president where one candidate is allowed to wander freely across the land talking to voters, while the other candidate and their campaign is banned from America and can only stand in Mexico and Canada hoping to speak to voters as they cross the border.

FULL story at link.