Tuesday, 10 March 2009 10:07
Congress Ought to Just Say ‘No' to Quid Pro Quo
Yesterday, Democrats in Congress, led by Senator Ted Kennedy in the Senate, introduced the controversial "Employee Free Choice Act" (EFCA), designed to make it easier for unions to organize in workplaces large and small. The legislation cancels a worker's right to secret ballot elections for or against unionization and replaces it with authorization cards that require only an employee's signature. Under the EFCA, their signature on this card equals a vote and a secret ballot election is never held.
But more than just the secret ballot is at stake. Card Check would also replace good faith bargaining with government imposed contracts. Once a union organizes, if the two parties have not settled on a contract or agreed to extend negotiations, an arbitration panel will define a binding two-year contract. Government arbitrators would impose working conditions on both employers and employees, whether such conditions are workable or not. Ultimately, this means a government arbitrator would be able to control wages and benefits, promotions procedures, mergers, relocations, and subcontracting.In Washington, a town known for its partisanship, the EFCA, or "Card Check" legislation, is shaping up to be a tense battle. Both sides of the aisle have been posturing over this issue for months. Democrats call it a gift to workers, and organizations like the American Rights at Work have run heart string-tugging commercials urging the bill's passage. Republicans and business organizations, meanwhile, have argued that Card Check makes workers vulnerable to coercion and intimidation, and that if the law is put into place it would be a huge and needless strike against America's already struggling businesses.
It's no secret where we at AIADA stand on this issue. We stand with George McGovern, John McCain, Warren Buffett, and every other American who recognizes the value of the secret ballot. Card Check is a body blow to American businesses and the American economy, and many of us small business owners won't survive it. So why are some in Congress so intent on its passage? After all, this is the same Congress that is quick to use the secret ballot when their own leadership elections take place (imagine the repercussions if powerful committee chairs knew who voted against them - the horror!).
The answer is obvious. Card Check is payback from Democrats to the unions that helped them get elected in November. This is quid pro quo at the cellular level. Unions threw their dwindling support behind these candidates with the understanding that once in power they would turn around and support card check to grow union ranks. And now it is time for the Democrats to pay up. So who cares if the public is against the card check, or that economists say it will result in significant job loss? This is back door deal that Democrats must push through if they want that all important AFL-CIO endorsement in 2, 4, or 6 years time.
So how can you remind legislators they should be doing more in Washington than plotting their next re-election campaign? To start, get in contact with your legislators. Some would like nothing more than to sneak this bill by the American people, get a wink and a nod from big labor, and go back to the important work of spending our tax dollars. So don't let them! Click here to send a letter to your elected officials, and remember to personalize it. Remind these folks we sent them to D.C. to represent more than the AFL-CIO.
Unless you're looking forward to having Congress run your dealership, act now. As dealers, our voices carry weight. Let's use that strength and stop this ridiculously named "Employee Free Choice Act" before it goes any further.
Russ Darrow, AIADA Chairman
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