thetruthaboutefca.com | The Truth About The Employee Free Choice Act & Card Check

LaborUnionReport.com has some timely insights and analysis regarding Mary Kay Henry, the next president of the nation’s most powerful union, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). What caught our attention:

Henry said she has “a fire in her belly” for fighting management interference in labor organizing efforts. Henry said she will fight such efforts by “creating complaints” with the National Labor Relations Board.

First, we suppose by “interference” she means communicating with employees about their jobs, wages, work rules, future, retirement, etc, …

Second, analysis from LaborUnionReport.com:

“Her use of the term “creating complaints” (in quotes even) with the NLRB signifies the SEIU’s every intent to use the NLRB (with its recess appointed SEIU/NLRB member Craig Becker) to push the envelope by making up frivolous unfair labor practice charges against employers.”

Andy Stern yelled “charge” when it came to his union’s credit card. It sounds like “charge” will mean something new under the new SEIU president.

Friends of the U.S. Chamber are asking you to send a postcard to retiring SEIU president Andy Stern and at the same time help say no to card check.

Who knew it was a Hallmark moment?

From the Workforce Fairness Institute:

You probably thought it was outrageous that SEIU president Andy Stern has persecuted his own members and driven away large chunks of his own organization.

You probably thought it was incredible that he dropped tens of millions of dollars on politics after leading a split in labor because the other federation was spending too much on politics.

You probably thought it was horrifying to hear how SEIU badgers — almost terrorizes — companies that don’t cave into the union’s card check demands.

Even with all that, you’ll probably still manage to be shocked that Stern has criticized Sen. Joe Lieberman and Sen. Ben Nelson for halting disastrous health care legislation by saying, “There are a lot of terrorists in the Senate who think we are supposed to negotiate with them when they have their particular needs that they want met.”

Stern has flown the cuckoo nest. We wonder if the rest of the labor movement really wants to tie their wagon to this guy.

UPDATE: Thanks to BigGovernment.com and Instapundit.com readers for joining us!

While talks of “compromise” still float around D.C., supporters of the misnamed Employee Free Choice Act are still giving it the ol’ college try. Take for instance news from the Service Employees International Union that 155 academics are urging Sen. Arlen Specter to support EFCA.

That support is not altogether surprising: academics frequently have little to no real-world experience in running successful private-sector businesses or in the ways in which union officials operate. Indeed, many pro-EFCA supporters are claiming that public-sector union organizing has shown card check can work without understanding or disclaiming the vast differences. Meanwhile, actual business owners know EFCA will hurt their businesses.

But support for EFCA reaches its limits at the academic walls. As we noted, just 15 showed up to support EFCA in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The public, while broadly supportive of the academic notion of unions, doesn’t like the reality it comes to stealing secret ballots.

And it’s for those very reasons that EFCA is in trouble. SEIU’s own Andy Stern has said so and now pro-labor academics are acknowledging that card check is a bad idea.

Andy Stern is head of the Service Employees International Union and, as such, one of the top voices (and funders) pushing the anti-democratic, job-killing bill known euphemistically as the Employee Free Choice Act. During a sitdown with the Los Angeles Times editorial board, he had some puzzling statements:

• “I think everybody now agrees that there needs to be binding arbitration; not everyone, I’d say there’s an overwhelming majority that agrees there needs to be binding arbitration.”
• “I think no matter what we do we’re going to maintain secret ballot, because I think there’s always going to be an election process”

Those are remarkable statements. The first seems way off base to us. We know of almost no one — outside of organized labor — who thinks it’s a good idea to inject big government bureaucrats into small-business decisions through binding arbitration.

The second is a shocking admission that the secret ballot issue is not one that can really be won by unions. Unfortunately, that does not necessarily herald a victory for employee advocates. Big Labor still hopes to rush through “quickie elections” that deny employees time to get both sides of the story and making an informed choice.

It’s important EFCA opponents keep working to block “son of EFCA” compromises that still harm employees, employers, and our economy.