Wait a minute, are you kidding me?
Is there a blogging equivalent of a double take, because I’m doing that right now. Maine labor boss Jack McKay is a tricky guy. He has been trying to conflate union leadership elections, with union organization elections in an effort to suggest that unions like secret ballots. But if you know anything about unions, you [more...]

Posted Thu, 28 Aug 2008 .

Some Common Sense in Minnesota
Minnesota, for one reason or another, has quickly become the epicenter of the debate about the deceptively-named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Earlier this summer, the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor party (DFL) Chairman called us liars for suggesting that the bill would eliminate secret ballot elections in workplace unionization elections. We, in turn, challenged him to [more...]

Posted Wed, 27 Aug 2008 .

What is Card Check or the Employee Free Choice Act?

Executive Summary
The best decisions are made with the best information—and without coercion. That is true for employees deciding whether to join a union. It is equally true for politicians who are being pressured by labor leaders to codify the union organizing method known as “card check,” a scheme rife with intimidation, coercion, and confusion.
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Introduction
Union officials’ top priority? Ending the secret ballot elections process and the associated protections for employees choosing whether to join a union.
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Shifting Strategies
Few would complain about winning six of 10 fair elections or increasing the number of elections resulting in certifications, but union organizers aren’t looking for fair elections. They want big numbers. And they want them now.
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History
Between 1935 and 1947, the National Labor Relations Act allowed for secret ballot elections or “other suitable methods” to determine union recognition. Union spokespersons often note this fact, but stop here. They fail to acknowledge that in representation cases handled by the NLRB, only an estimated 20 percent were through the card check method.
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