Something To Consider

As we move towards the election this fall, I'm one of the millions of people who really struggle with both candidates. I can't look at either one and say, "That's the man I want to lead us forward." I'm so disappointed that these are the two choices we are left with. At the beginning, it seemed like we had so many promising candidates. I still can't believe this is where we are, but so be it.

I'm sure I'll go back and forth a million times before I cast my ballot. One thing that's important to me is how each candidate deals with the economic issues, including their opinions on unions and businesses. In a Human Resources newsletter I received today, an article appeared about Barack Obama's support for the "Employee Free Choice Act." Among other things, this Act would replace secret ballot union elections currently conducted by the National Labor Relations Board with a "card check" procedure. An employer would be legally obligated to recognize and bargain with a union if a simple majority of employees sign union authorization cards.

I've been in HR a long time, and I've been involved in a number of union drives. Some were successful for the union, and some where not. The way it works now is the union desiring to represent employees approaches the employees and asks them to sign cards. Once they have enough cards (30 percent of the employees they want to represent), they can petition the National Labor Relations Board for an election. In my experience, unions don't petition for an election unless they have at least 50 percent of the cards, since they don't want to take a chance on losing the election.

An employer CANNOT block the election. If the union has the cards, they WILL be granted an election. During the time prior to the election, a lot of education takes place, both on the part of the union and the employer. Both sides want the employees to have all the information available to make an informed decision.

Then the election is held, and the union wins if they get 50% plus 1 vote of all those who vote in the election.

The proposed Act, supported by Mr. Obama, does away with those elections. It allows the unions to approach employees, have them sign cards, and, if they get 50 percent plus 1 cards signed, then they're now the union representing those employees.

What's so bad about that? Let me tell you the reality. During card signing, a lot of peer pressure is placed on employees. Employees are harassed and intimidated into signing. They do it knowing that they can vote however they want when they have the secret ballot. If the actual card signing means a vote for the union, instead of a secret ballot, many union organizers will work even harder, and use even stronger tactics, to get those signatures.

Union organizing in an organization is a stressful time for all. Managers are mad, organizers are sneaky, and it's an "us against them" time. What falls out of that, however, is that employers DO have a chance to educate employees so they can make an informed choice. They get to hear BOTH sides, not just what some union organizer promises them. Did you know that many times union organizers work full time for the unions and don't even work at the place they're trying to organize? They don't know the workplace or environment. They don't know the people. They'll promise the moon to get that signature.

In a state where so many of the unions are out of touch with the economy, it's hard to believe that this Act would help our employees. As I said, I've been involved in any number of union drives. Some brought the union in, and some turned down the union. In one place, they've turned down the union more than once, even though enough cards were signed to generate an election. Under this Act, those elections wouldn't have taken place. The cards would have dictated that they were unionized. Think about it.....if there was no peer pressure, no misleading comments, then why would someone sign a card but vote against the union? Shouldn't employees have that right?

This Act is bad. It's going to lead employees down a path they don't want to go, and they won't know what hit them until it's too late.