Posts Tagged ‘Massachusetts’
So What Will Give Employees The Most Freedom?
One of four Democratic politicians hoping to fill the vacant seat left by the late Ted Kennedy has received a glowing personal portrait about his efforts to live up to Kennedy’s legacy, especially with respect to the sadly misnamed Employee Free Choice Act.
The Valley Advocate writes of Mike Capuano:
“I think that actually one of the problems in this country right now is that too few people are organized,” said Capuano, noting that the rise in union membership in the U.S. corresponded with the rise of the middle class—and the decline of unions with the decline of the middle class.
“I’m for whatever it takes to allow people their own choice whether to organize or not,” he said. In recent decades, labor laws have tilted too far in the direction of anti-union employers. “I’m just trying to level the playing field again.”
Well, we’ll gloss over most of that since it’s boilerplate talking points for organized labor’s head honchos. What we’re amazed by is the willingness to say one is “for whatever it takes to allow people in their own choice whether to organize or not.”
Certainly the Employee Free Choice Act’s two killer provisions — card check that takes away an employee’s ability to vote on whether or not to join the union and government-imposed contract arbitration which can take away the right to vote on a contract — actively work against allowing people their own choice of organizing and working conditions.
To take the claim a step further, if Capuano were really concerned whether people had the choice to not organize, wouldn’t he support a “right to work” law which would ensure that no employee were forced to pay a union for representation?
We certainly hope that is what Capuano means, but we certainly doubt it.
