PAtownhall.com
Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas
Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas
PAtownhall.com
Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas
Pennsylvania's Marketplace of Ideas
by Susan Staub,
President, PA Right to Work
"Pollster Tony Fabrizio calls it an '80-20 issue' --
some 80% of voters are against the forced unionization measure.
'It strikes average Americans as unfair.' "
…The Wall Street Journal Online
Labeled the "Employee Free Choice Act" by labor union apologists in the U.S. Congress, the bill, HR 300, would eliminate the secret ballot for union elections and bring a labor union into their workplace to negotiate their contracts. IN ADDITION, it would impose binding arbitration for contract resolutions on all private sector employees.
The passage of this bill, House Resolution 800, would eliminate the time-honored American right (since 1931) to a secret ballot. It would replace it with simply signing a non-secret card designating an employee's so-called "free choice" allowing a union to negotiate the worker's contract. Not only would this encourage union representatives and supporters to subject employees to acts of intimidation, threats, and misinformation, but a worker's vote would be known to one's employers, union organizers, and co-workers.
While the union-backed bill is currently stalled in the U.S. Senate by a 48 to 51 "cloture" vote to cut off debate and call for a vote on the bill (60 yea votes are needed for passage), it can be brought up again whenever union apologists think the time is ripe and it will pass. Nationwide speculation is that union-owned Democrats sponsoring and supporting the measure will wait until after the 2008 elections when they expect to take over the Senate majority as well as the Whitehouse.
Pennsylvania's Senators, Casey (D) and Specter (R) both voted "yea" to proceed with 30 hours of debate before a vote.
It is clear why the unions are campaigning against Secret Ballot Elections. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that only about 12 % of American workers now belong to unions (compared to 35% in 1945) and only 7% of them in the private sector. Union membership across Pennsylvania is down to approximately 13.6 percent of all workers.
The overwhelming reason behind this proposed legislation to wipe out the secret, private ballot vote is very clear from United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union president Joe Hansen. Explaining why union bosses are turning away from traditional elections, he said, because "we can't win that way anymore." (Center For Union Facts.com, 2006.)
All of us who cherish the time-honored secret ballot in any election – particularly to determine his or her standing and future in the workplace – must rally around the public officials who themselves are in position by the private ballot and who have the power and means to guarantee the privacy of every American's vote. Each of us must urge our own representatives in our state and in our national capitol to guard and secure it for now and for future generations.
Our treasured secret ballot guarantees are what individual freedom is all about.
Contact Mrs. Staub at SStaub@PARightToWork.org for more information or to arrange a speaking engagement for your group or organization. Or visit their website at www.PARightToWork.org.
Pennsylvanians for Right to Work is not affiliated with any other Right to Work organization.
