Political will...

Congress has a lot of ideas, some of them are even their own and a couple are good ones. The following is neither. At the behest of large unions, notably Andy Stern's SEICU, Congress is proposing the worst labor legislation ever. The most notable aspect is the elimination of the secret ballot for determining representation. What is more disturbing is the shortening of the time for decisions about organizing, which hamstrings business' ability to offer a counter campaign.

There are many reasons in some industries to organize. However, union organization rarely results in improved flexibility or innovation. Most of the very troubled industries in the United States (auto makers, transportation, textiles and heavy manufacturing) were clobbered by burdensome union demands and a lack of flexibility. As a consequence we have seen a mass exodus of these industries form the United States and those that remain are (in some cases) barely functional.

Unions have had a profound and positive effect on the nation's workforce. There is no doubt that they played a critical role in the development of strong worker safety rules and the elimination of child labor. However, like many institutions, they have stagnated and become political elements unto themselves. They are less concerned about the welfare of their constituents and more focused on amassing political power and setting agendas in line with their worldview.

I work daily in a unionized setting. My relationship with the union leadership is good and I respect their commitment to the coworkers. However, I know that their non-union counterparts enjoy more opportunity and benefits along with the same protections and security. Unionizing will not stop a plant form closing or a business from leaving the country. It may, in fact, accelerate the decline of that business in the global arena. If you are so inclined, I urge you to comment on this issue to your elected representatives.

The Employee Free Choice Act was introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate today. Despite Senate Democrats' failure to secure 60 votes in favor of the bill, the battle over EFCA has begun. And as we have heard from so many of you, our economy can not afford a defeat. As you know, union leaders want to change the rules of how unions are recognized by encouraging legislators to do away with the proven practice of holding free and fair secret ballot elections. H.R. 1409 was introduced in the House moments ago and will drop in the Senate soon. Our efforts have been successful so far, causing the bill's delay. In addition, this weekend Sen. McCaskill acknowleged that support in the Senate for EFCA is diminishing. Tell your Senators to vote against cloture on the bill. A vote for cloture--to limit the amount of time to consider the bill--is a vote in favor of EFCA. It's apparent that our opposition to this bill is gaining traction, and your input is more important than ever.

No to EFCA...

Folks should take some time to educate themselves about the EFCA. This is a dangerous, union developed, piece of legislation which will effectively eliminate any privacy, discussion and freedom regarding an individual's right to organize. Imagine your workplace placed under the bargaining agreement of a union, without a fair hearing or vote. Think it can't happen? Take a look at some of the targets outlined by the AFL-CIO, SEIU and others.


From: chamber_list@mailmanager.net [mailto:chamber_list@mailmanager.net] On Behalf Of Bill Miller, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 4:32 PM
Subject: Action Alert: No to EFCA - the Time is Now

The time has come. The Employee Free Choice Act is here. As Roll Call reported this morning, labor unions are staging a theatrical event on the Hill tomorrow, and EFCA is expected to be introduced in the House of Representatives this week. The preliminaries are over, this is the main event--and as we continue to hear from you--our economy can't afford a defeat. Union leaders want to change the rules of how unions are recognized by encouraging legislators to do away with the proven practice of holding free and fair secret ballot elections. By forcing workers out of the voting booth and subjecting them to a public 'card check' scheme, the bill would take privacy, power, and choice away from America's workers. Save the Secret Ballot, Save the Economy. Join our Virtual March on Washington, and join the fight. Write to your Congressmen now and tell them to say No to EFCA and protect secret ballots for America's workers.

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Free choice with fries...

If anyone doubted the Labor Agenda and its potential negative impact on our economy, you need do nothing more than read Andy Stern's anti-McDonald's missive.  McDonald's is a large company which provides solid entry level jobs, decent benefits and flexible working arrangements for its employees.  No one is forced to work there - there are a host of entry level positions available - not as many with flexible hours though.  McDonald's offers management training, ownership opportunities and contributes of strong social programs across the country.  They are many of our first experiences of work. 

 

What the SEIU is trying to do is bully McDonalds employees into becoming a member of their union.  The disparity of CEO pay to base employee compensation is a matter for a responsible compensation board and the 770x multiple is misleading as it takes into account stock options (which may be worth zero at any given moment).   McDonald's provides simple food (one can make any case about nutritional value - it's about OUR choices) that people want.  I would be very interested to know exactly what benefits SEIU would offer organized members.  It was partly labor's intransigence which led the United States automobile industry, textile industry, steel industry and electronics industry overseas. 

 

Will their efforts cripple McDonald's as well?

 

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From: Michael Whitney-SEIU.org [mailto:info@seiu.org]
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 2:47 PM
Subject: Go to McDonald's tomorrow at noon

Dear, Last week we told you that McDonald's wasn't lovin' free choice at work. Several thousand of you stood up and told the company what you think about their efforts to stop their employees' free choice. Now we're kicking our campaign into high gear. We want to speak directly with McDonald's employees about what it's like to work for a CEO who is paid 770 times what his workers earn, leaving working families with barely enough to afford the "Dollar Menu." We're organizing events at McDonald's locations around the country for TOMORROW at NOON. Can you take an hour tomorrow to go to your local McDonald's to educate McDonald's employees about free choice? Click here to find an event at a McDonald's near you and RSVP now. If you can't find an event near you, you can plan your own - it's easy, quick, and we provide all the materials you need. According to published reports, the fast food giant is organizing its store owners to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act. McDonald's has reportedly even formed an "internal response team...to actively participate in the opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act." The Employee Free Choice Act gives workers the free choice to join unions so they can bargain for better wages, benefits, and retirement security. But it's apparent that McDonald's doesn't want its employees to see any of that. It's time for McDonald's to give workers more of the wealth they help create, and it's up to us to tell them how to do so. Find or plan an event at a McDonald's near you TOMORROW at NOON to tell employees why they need free choice at work. Click here to RSVP. Thank you for your support of McDonald's employees and workers everywhere. In Solidarity, Michael Whitney Change that Works SEIU.org   PAID FOR BY SEIU. WWW.SEIU.ORG. THIS COMMUNICATION IS NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE.   SEIU 1800 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Unsubscribe