Orlando Sentinel Unimpressed With Card Check Compromise
Friday, July 24th, 2009 by AdminThe Orlando Sentinel, which has been among the best editorial pages to keep an eye on the fight over the Employee Free Choice Act, takes a look at what “Son of EFCA” of “Card Check Lite” may be. Noting some efforts to strip the “card check” provision in the bill, the Sentinel’s editors say that’s not enough:
The bill would still give a government arbitrator the power to dictate wages and benefits for a business if management and labor can’t agree on a contract within 90 days. And in return for reviving secret ballots, supporters insisted on speeding up the timetable for elections so much that employees might not get a full and fair presentation from both sides before voting.
The editors are correct. Those unduly quick elections — some call them “quickie elections” and some are calling them “ambush elections” — have the same effect of “toxic” card check: they effectively rush the process so much as to make it a one-sided sales pitch from the union with no say by employers or time for employees to get sufficient information. And, of course, the paper is correct to note the equally toxic idea of government-imposed contract terms if a contract cannot be reached in 90 days — which is, under even the best of circumstances, unrealistic.
We’re glad editors are paying attention to the issue, and we hope that continuing to educate the public will avert any sort of legislation that harms employees, silences employers, and has a vast negative economic consequence leading to massive increase in job loss.
Tags: Editorials
