The Card Check War

The war is now intensifying over the Employee Free Choice Act, or card check bill, that would make it far easier to unionize a workplace. It is a war over how businesses and our economy function. Passage would mean a mighty blow to U.S. competitiveness, economic growth and job creation.

The card check bill would allow a workplace to be unionized if a majority of employees merely check and sign a card that they want to be unionized. No secret ballot election would be needed. Workers would lose the fundamental right to cast a private vote, and labor unions would be emboldened to strong-arm individuals for signatures.

In addition, once unionized, if a contract agreement is not reached within a certain period of time, then government appointees would impose compensation and work policies on businesses.

This is a pro-big-labor, pro-big-government, anti-worker, anti-small business bill.

What’s the outlook? Given the declared support of President Obama and Democratic congressional leaders, along with the enormous influence big labor has within Democratic Party politics, is this a done deal?

Thankfully, the answer is no. But entrepreneurs and their employees need to make clear their opposition to this anti-worker, anti-jobs, anti-small business measure.

An article in the Wall Street Journal on March 10 noted that perhaps as many as six U.S. senators who formerly supported the card check bill might be wavering, highlighting by name Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and Arlen Specter (R-PA).

Of course, though, big labor is exerting big pressure. A March 11 Wall Street Journal editorial noted how labor leaders are pushing to silence lobbying efforts against their agenda by firms receiving taxpayer dollars. But, of course, it’s okay for unions to receive taxpayer dollars and continue lobbying. The Journal sums things up nicely:

Labor chiefs are desperate to pass their easy-organizing agenda this year, because they know liberal majorities on Capitol Hill won't last. They also know they haven't been able to organize workers with a level playing field, so they want to rewrite the rules so their organizers can see which individual workers are voting no and apply peer and other pressure. Most workers can see how unions have contributed to the destruction of Detroit, U.S. steel makers and so many other industries. That's why unions need government-sanctioned coercion to prevail both against business and with workers.

Absolutely on the mark!

Raymond J. Keating
Chief Economist
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council