SFA Mobilizes Against Card Check
Bill
(Continued from the Homepage)
The top priority of organized labor, the bill would replace
the current process of private ballot union representation
elections with a system called “card check” which
“exposes employees to coercion by union organizers and
their peers, McCarthy said. “If passed, this legislation
would also impose an artificial timeline for when the first
labor contract must be reached when a union is certified.
A federal arbitrator could dictate the terms of the contract,
including wages, benefits and work rules. We strongly urge
all Members of Congress to oppose this legislation in any
form,” he explained.
Key SFA concerns regarding the ‘card check’
bill:
• This legislation contains numerous provisions that
radically overhaul our current labor law system which would
hinder economic growth and threaten our economy’s ability
to create jobs.
• The misnamed Employee Free Choice Act will not result
in labor law reform. Instead, it would overturn its longstanding
principles of fairness and balance in our labor law system.
• This legislation effectively eliminates private ballot
elections and implements a card check system. The current
election process works as most elections are held within 56
days filing an election petition. Recent data shows that labor
unions currently win two-thirds of these union representation
elections. Under a card check system, a union would be automatically
certified if a majority of workers are persuaded into signing
an authorizing card.
• Secret ballots are the cornerstone of the democratic
process and the best way to protect workers from intimidation.
However, union leaders find secret ballot elections to be
an obstacle to unionization. They prefer a "card check"
system, where employees are forced to choose sides in front
of union organizers and employees who already support unionization.
Public opinion data show there is strong opposition (69 percent)
among union households to eliminating their right to a private
ballot election.
• This legislation would force binding arbitration
on employees and employers. This provision undermines the
system of collective bargaining. In such a system, once a
labor union becomes certified, the union and employer must
begin first contract negotiations within ten days. After 90
days of collective bargaining, either party may notify the
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and request mediation.
After 30 additional days, this federal panel would be able
to impose a binding decision on both parties for two years
that includes wages, benefits and work rules.
• Our labor law system never intended the government
to be able to impose binding contracts on employees and employers.
This provision is direct assault on free enterprise, and creates
uncertainty for employers and would greatly undermine businesses’
ability to effective control their operation. Such a system
also eliminates employees’ ability to vote on or ratify
their contract terms of employment.
• None of these provisions will result in economic growth,
especially at a time when our economy faces such large challenges.
Unfortunately, there is no way to improve this legislation,
as it is the most direct threat to manufacturers’ ability
to compete in the increasing competitive global market and
will reduce the incentive to create jobs in our manufacturing
economy.
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