Dems Introducing Card Check Legislation Tuesday

Politico:

Tomorrow, Democrats in both houses of Congress plan to introduce a union-organizing bill that is labor's top priority for the year, Democratic officials said.

The result could be a high-decibel, high-stakes brawl between business and labor, which strongly supported President Obama. Unions have been getting impatient for attention to the issue, and the push to introduce legislation is a way to ratchet up pressure on Congress.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[TParrish]

OK, just a point of view. I am a computer services contractor. I have clients who are so opposed to this legislation that they have declared that the day a union rep drops a stack of cards on their desk and says "You are now a union shop", they will close their businesses. They treat their people well, provide good salaries and health care benefits, and their employees love both them and working for them. The day after cards are dropped on the desk, however, all of those people will be out of work.

It is my belief that in the current economic environment, there are MANY business owners who are so close to the edge that the results of this legislation, the effective loss of control over their business, is all it will take to make them give it up. Passing this legislation is the best way I can think of to increase unemployment.

Unions do help abused workers, no doubt. I have worked in a union shop, however, and the union rules impeded the smooth running of the business. The union workers deliberately worked slowly, and about half of what could have been accomplished in a day was actually done. I work hard, and did not fit in. I believe in taking up slack caused by absent co-workers, and constantly had union guys on my back about it. Want to kill a business? Unionize it using the union rules in effect today.

[SPQR1775]

Honorable Harry Reid,

The American people voted in November for President Obama and his policies, and we want the EFCA Bill passed. We are fed up with corporate greed and your participation in the same. Our democratic politicians are basically being led by lobbyists and their interest, not ours. We will weed out any democratic politician who is not working for the American people. Enough, it does the American people no good to vote for you or any politician only to have lobbyists buy you. You or any other democratic politician's relationship with lobbyists working against the American people's interest will no longer be tolerated. We expect you to do what's right for the American people for a change, if you or other democratic politicians can't, we will find someone who will.

CHANGE 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012-2020! FIRE THE GOP, FIRE ANY DEMOCRAT WHO VOTE AGAINST THE PEOPLE, THIS IS OUR TIME, THIS IS OUR MOMENT!

[spinns17]

http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/efca/

[Alex The Bob]

Who should Obama listen to?

Warren Buffet, a strong supporter of Obama, a liberal, a sucessful business minded individual who is flatly against this legislation.

or

Big union bosses, who spent millions and millions dollars of hard working union member's dues on the election?

[spinns17]

get your facts staight.

[CelticMajic]

Why allow a vote at all. We all know that unions are best for workers, why not just legislate a requirement by all workers to join as a condition of employment. If we continue to allow secret ballots then there is a chance they could go the "wrong" way, and that, even if the workers do not realize it ,is harmful to them and helpful to hated/greedy corporations.

[eileengeisenharvey]

Are you serious?? You don't think the workers should be allowed to vote? What a typical liberal attitude to have! You imply that the workers are not smart enough to know what is best for them.
OMG!! What is wrong with you???

[CelticMajic]

read my profile and understand that this was pure sarcasm. Interesting that you were the only one that thought my words were unacceptab­le....but then this is HUFFPOLAND

[chocolatecity]

The bill will get watered down. But it will pass.

[katekid]

EFCA is needed ASAP to level the playing field.
It is simply good business for any worker to have his terms of employment in writing.
Union contracts created the middle class.
Their strength has raised the standard of living for all, including the timid free loaders who work paycheck to paycheck without the dignity of a collective bargaining agreement.
It will always be better to bargain, than beg.

[kassandrasduplex]

I praise this move and certainly hope the legislation isn't watered down with legalese loopholes. So far we've seen CEO "pay caps" turn out to be slightly less than advertised, the closing of Gitmo not actually happening, the War and Invasion and Occupation of Iraq continuing along entirely unchanged etc.
BTW..."Oba­ma Administration Defends John Yoo in Suit Filed by Jose Padilla
Meanwhile, the Obama administration argued in court on Friday that another man held as an enemy combatant, Jose Padilla, has no right to sue former Justice Department attorney John Yoo for writing legal memos that allegedly led to his detention and torture. "
Amy Goodman Democracy Now! today's program.

[Metome]

How do you know Gitmo closing isn't happening? And you seem not to understand the whole John Yoo court thing.

[k6007]

That's right get those CoC l.ackies to stand up and oppose the american workers, openly!

[Wiseup2Day]

I am totally against this bill..Amer­icans should always be able to vote privately.­..this is disgraceful and does not add any benefit to the worker.

[k6007]

Hmmm, read the article. Unions are FOR this bill.

[lj9283]

And yet employers can de-certify a Union with a card check petition that is signed by 50%+1 of employees, and they do not need to hold an election.

[Icantbelieveher]

You're falling for the propoganda that big business is paying millions to get out there! If they are spending so much money to fight it, think about who would benefit from card check? It won't be big business -- and when have they ever looked out for employees?

[Alex The Bob]

At the same time, Big Union paid millions of dues from hard working members to an election campaign.

If they spent so much money to support it, think about who would benefit from card check? Big Union.

Why are those funds collected from dues not going back into the pockets of those who truly earned it?

[tallcoolone47]

I am in agreement this bill is hideous all that will be left to do is install the Nazi Brownshirts to beat the no voters to a pulp to make this Facist law really really cool.