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

In close races things can get ugly. Just ask the Democrats in the primary for the Arkansas Senate seat. And as races get closer, and uglier, important issues take on a starring role. In this case, the fight is over card check — as with its legislative embodiment, the Employee Free Choice Act — is turning into a proxy over how much power union officials should have to shape the work lives of Americans and our economy.

Indeed, the New York Times and its top labor reporter writes, “The unions have made the race here the centerpiece of a new effort to hold union-backed candidates accountable for their votes after they are elected.”

Union officials claim Sen. Blanche Lincoln has not shown enough support for the measure, which is one reason unions are spending millions and millions of their members dues dollars to try to run her out of office. Meanwhile, her challenger and union favorite, Bill Halter, is doing his best just not to answer any questions about his stance on card check. Who can blame him? It’s a no-win situation: either do right by Americans and condemn card check or get booted from the Big Labor gravy train.

Somehow the fight has turned into one of Bill Halter and President Obama on one side and Sen. Lincoln and former President (and Arkansas governor) Bill Clinton on the other. Here’s the former president’s thoughts, which have been turned into a TV ad:

It’s been light blogging here of late as news related to the Employee Free Choice Act has been something on the back burner, but it will continue to heat up as the election approaches (see this involving the Arkansas Senate race and former President Bill Clinton as example).

So it’s worth taking another look at what America would look like if EFCA’s card check provision passed.

First, the unionizing of a pot shop in Oakland, California — which acceded to a the card check demands of UFCW — has been called the “model” of organizing in America. If a weed shop is your model business, good luck convincing the rest of the world.

Then there’s this ostensible sob story told by a far-Left activist in California who appears to have a vested interest in attacking the Valero energy company:

Last August, despite 74 percent of the workers at Valero’s Texas City, Texas, signing a petition for United Steel Workers representation, the company launched an all-out effort to halt the union organization effort. Workers were subject to captive audience meetings for three weeks before the vote, one-on-one meetings with management and “vote no” banners as they entered the plant and the security gate. Valero’s CEO and chief financial officer flew in the week of the vote to encourage workers to vote no. The company also sent a disk to every worker’s home encouraging them to not seek union representation. The USW was not given similar access to the workers. (Source: United Steelworkers, The Oil Worker, August 2009.) Employees ultimately voted 184-93 late Friday against joining the union, which the USW attributed to intimidation tactics from Valero, one of the nation’s largest refiners.

If that were a joke it would be funny, but the issue is serious. The notion that employers cannot talk to employees about their direct work experience is galling but also one of immediate importance. The notion that a union salesman — the same as any other salesman pitching a product or service — should have special access to an employer’s shop is galling and of immediate importance. Finally, of course, if those employees indeed all do support the union so strongly they can vote their conscience in private under a secret ballot but are left exposed for exactly this kind of counting by union bosses under a card check effort.

• Getting litmus testy in Arkansas: Politico reports, “Sen. Blanche Lincoln said Wednesday she would not agree to a fourth debate with Lt. Gov. Bill Halter until he takes a clear position on controversial card check legislation.” Local columnist Brummett says, “Ask him in a debate, senator.”
• More litmus test: It’s card check and education for unions in Florida
• FYI: Judge upholds secret ballot measure for SD ballot

EJ Dionne of the Washington Post takes note of the Senate race down in Arkansas:

But Lincoln, like Specter, is in trouble partly because of flip-flopping, particularly during the health-care battle. Labor is also furious that Lincoln, who once co-sponsored the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) that would make it easier to organize unions, later turned against it.

If Halter wins, progressives will have a right to claim victory. But it’s not clear how liberal Halter is, and he avoids the label. He is for the public option on health care but has ducked taking a stand on EFCA because it “is no longer being discussed.”

That’s not the only state where EFCA will be a big deal. In his column, Dionne also addresses the Senate race in Pennsylvania, which is a key for the future of sound policy.

For political junkies, it’s back to interesting times for card check and EFCA.

Where have we seen this kind of play calling?

LITTLE ROCK – Jim Keet isn’t running against Mike Beebe in the Arkansas governor’s race. He’s running against Barack Obama.

Squaring off against a popular Democratic governor who’s so far been immune to his national party’s woes, Keet and Republicans are trying to nationalize the race for the state’s top elected position.

From calling on the state Legislature to reject any health insurance mandates issued by the federal government to opposing key union organizing legislation, Keet has made it clear his main target in this year’s gubernatorial election – Washington.

That was evident when Keet – a soft-spoken restaurant owner and former legislator who says he considers Beebe a friend – announced his run for governor earlier this month. Speaking at the state Capitol, Keet held up a copy of Obama’s book “The Audacity of Hope” as he laid out his campaign plans.

He complained about so-called “card check” legislation that’s stalled in Congress that would make it easier for workers to unionize, and said he was worried about the nation’s spiraling debt.

“I absolutely think that we, as a minority party, need to offer constructive ideas which address the challenges we face rather than participate in the usual political games and divisiveness we find in Washington,” Keet said.

Virginia, most notable. That’s where Gov. Bob McDonnell used his opposition to card check and cap and trade as a crucial piece of rallying the public against those measures and to his side. It was successful there, and we’ve seen several important Congressional fights across the country where the same conversation is occurring.

The Arkansas News weighs in against the nomination of Craig Becker, a top lawyer for the AFL-CIO and SEIU, to join the National Labor Relations Board:

Presidents deserve wide latitude in filling executive branch positions. But given his far-left philosophical leanings, the possibility that Mr. Becker would use the post to help organized labor impose its agenda through the back door without congressional consent is a real concern.

Mr. Becker’s nomination will likely come up as soon as this week. If they stick together, Senate Republicans have the ability to ensure it’s DOA — and that’s precisely what they should do.

Agreed!