Mitchell, Giffords Wrong on “Card-Check” By Randy Pullen

Brett Mecum, Communications Director of the AZ GOP asked us to post this op ed from Chairman Randy Pullen:

Mitchell, Giffords Wrong on “Card-Check”

By: Randy Pullen


What do liberal Northeast congressmen like Patrick Kennedy, Charles Rangel, and John Murtha have in common with Arizona’s newest members of Congress, U.S. Reps. Harry Mitchell and Gabrielle Giffords? They all co-sponsored the AFL-CIO political bosses’ latest attempt to circumvent long-standing labor laws in order to boost union dues and political contributions to Democrats: the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act.” No surprise, our state’s other two Democrat lawmakers supported the legislation as well.

Although the legislation’s name may suggest some sort of pro-worker bill, in reality, it’s anything but. Today, when workers decide to unionize, they do so via a secret ballot. Just like we do when we vote for our elected officials – even for our members of Congress. The bill itself would do away with elections and rely what has been dubbed a “card check system.” If this legislation, which has now passed the U.S. House, clears the Senate and is signed into law, union members across the nation can say goodbye to ballot secrecy when they vote.

So what makes voting on unionizing, or voting for union leadership, so different than voting for anything else in America? Presumably, union bosses figure if they’re watching over someone’s shoulder while they vote, or reading an individual’s name on their ballot when they turn in their card, that individual is less likely to vote “wrong”.

Imagine a similar situation in American politics today. Consider how uncomfortable you might have felt if someone you knew, or worked with, or someone who might know where you or your family lived and was clearly aligned with one of the presidential candidates in the last election, gave you your ballot and made you fill it out in front of them, while they watched. In union elections, this process is called the “card check” system.

A frequent complaint by the union community is that during the current secret ballot process, union certification only happens 50% of the time. So unions are winning one out of every two elections. Sounds like the secret ballot process is working the way it should. However, when the “card check” system is introduced, unions win more than 80% of the time. That’s a huge jump over the secret ballot success rate. The “card check” system ensures that union influence and power continue to grow and expand, while the union membership rolls swell at the expense of workers rights.

The intent of union formation was to have open elections, free from coercion by pro-union supporters or by management. In order to accomplish this, elections by secret ballot were implemented. The idea of taking this right away from the workers and forcing them to declare their preference publicly will undoubtedly lead to coercive tactics and undue pressure on workers by union organizers.

There are indeed roles for some labor unions to play, and indeed there are some who play them well. The AFL-CIO, however, is rarely one of them today. Tens of millions of dollars of members’ dues are expended each election cycle on behalf of union controlled candidates. If anything, legislation such as this could only lead to the deterioration of the rights of union members who today have so small a voice in the operation of their own unions. The current secret ballot system has served the American people well for over sixty years.

Already, Reps. Mitchell and Giffords have proven they are more interested in playing political games in Congress than enacting meaningful legislation that will improve the lives of working Arizonans. Rather than fattening the wallets of union bosses and their own campaign coffers, why not sponsor legislation to reduce government red tape on small businesses, increase incentives for minority-owned and women-owned businesses, create new educational incentives for worker retraining, or pass legislation for association health plans so small businesses can afford to offer health care to even part-time employees.

Mitchell and Giffords, and the rest of the congressional Democrats ought to think long and hard before they move to give unions much more power nationwide at the expense of the workers. Taking away a persons right to vote by secret ballot, and creating an environment of undue pressure and coercion is not only anti-democratic, but its sets a very dangerous precedent for the country as a whole.