A Very Merry Belated Labor Day
September 2nd, 2008 by NSwiftIn keeping with Labor Day traditions the nation over, yesterday many got a day off to reflect on all the wonderous things labor unions have done for America - most notably, getting us a day off at the end of the summer - but also prevailing wage, increased costs, and lower productivity.
With union numbers waning, it’s no surprise that groups like the AFL-CIO are pushing the ironically named “Employee Free Choice Act” - a bill that would eliminate secrect ballots for individuals deciding whether or not they want their workplace to be unionized. There have also been calls in this election for the repeal of “Right to Work” laws that enable employees to opt out of union representation.
- National Right to Work Committee is an excellent source on the problems with compulsory unionism and the abuses of card check.
- MarketWatch has an essay, “Employee Free Choice Act Puts Workplace Democracy at Risk”
- Ed Feulner at Heritage looks at “Unions: What Works - and What Doesn’t”
- And the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation has a collection of compelling stories from individuals detailing their experience fighting for individual rights against union abuses
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
And that thing called “the weekend,” too. Might want to include that one. You know, those two “days off” you get at the end of each week. Well, maybe you get them off. I sure don’t.
September 4th, 2008 at 5:38 am
I’m sorry to hear that,Sickle. You want to tell me that you must work extra hours even during the weekends? Back to topic: It’s nice to remember our nation all those benefits our ancestors won us through hard sweeping reforms. I know very well that not everyone of us has the luck and is allowed to use all the free days but the spirit lives on and we shouldn’t forget about it.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
“Under current labor law, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board will certify a union as the exclusive representative of employees if it is elected by either a majority signature drive, the card check process, or by secret ballot NLRB election, which is held if more than 30% of employees in a bargaining unit sign statements asking for representation by a union. Under the EFCA, an employer would no longer have the opportunity to demand a secret ballot election when a majority of employees have signed union cards and there is no evidence of illegal coercion.” The employer, not the employee, would lose the right to call for a secret ballot.
September 6th, 2008 at 6:50 am
“also prevailing wage, increased costs, and lower productivity”
What in the heck are you even talking about?? Wages have been basically stagnant as union rolls have declined, and I wasn’t aware that U.S. productivity was down. GWB hasn’t been helping out workers either:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/01/workers.report.ap/index.html
“With union numbers waning”
Wrong again, union numbers have been up in the last two years, and the recent increase is the largest in several decades. I’m against getting rid of a secret ballots BTW.