thetruthaboutefca.com | The Truth About The Employee Free Choice Act & Card Check

Michael Hicks writes in Indiana’s Star Press:

Card check is a haunting piece of legislation. It forces union representation through a simple majority petition, not a secret ballot. This is why I prefer the acronym: PLIAVA (or Parking Lot Intimidation and Violence Act). It is as undemocratic as any legislation before Congress in my lifetime. It is also a very significant job killer, but that is minor issue when compared to the basic tenets of democracy.

What’s your favorite acronym for card check? EFCA? PLIAVA? Something else? Drop us a note in the comments.

We’re proud to point out a great op-ed from Rick Slagle, a longtime member of Associated Builders and Contractors, on the job losses that Indianans could expect — and dread — if Congress passes the devastatingly misnamed Employee Free Choice Act. Addressing Sen. Evan Bayh, Slagle writes:

Every day this bill has life, employers are delaying investment and hiring decisions. Bayh has the power to stop the next big blow to the Indiana economy that would come with S.560. We hope he will stand up for Hoosier jobs.

Click over for the entire article.

As always, we are happy to point out the ongoing efforts and leadership from ABC members on this critical issue.

The Indianapolis Star was kind enough to publish a letter from Associated Builders and Contractors President Kirk Pickerel and ABC Indiana President J.R. Gaylor warning readers about the Employee Free Choice Act:

The merit shop construction work force has never been stronger. More than 84 percent of all workers in the industry have made the decision to use their professional craft skills in an environment that is free from union coercion and intimidation.

John Sweeney, AFL-CIO national president, and Ken Zeller, Indiana State AFL-CIO president, argued in their recent letter (“Workers deserve freedom to join unions”) that the Employee Free Choice Act would “restore workers’ freedom to choose how to form a union and bargain for better lives.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Employee Free Choice Act actually deals a double blow to workers by robbing them of the fundamental American right to a secret-ballot election when deciding whether or not to join a union, and allows a federal government arbitrator to dictate the terms of the union contract without a vote by the employees.

Current law requires that both the union and employer bargain in good faith after a union is certified. However, under the proposed act, if both parties have not reached agreement after 120 days, the union can call for mandatory, binding arbitration.

In the end, workers could end up in a union they didn’t vote for, and forced to abide by a contract they didn’t vote on. No secret-ballot election. No vote on a contract. Where is the free choice in that?

“Just 15 people turned out Thursday for a rally in Fort Wayne to support” the Employee Free Choice Act. Hundreds of millions spent by organized labor, and the grassroots is un-enthused, as they should be. As we’ve noted, union members are not particularly fond of the their officials’ plans to strip secret ballots.

Still, this can not be the kind of muscle organized labor was hoping to demonstrated with Congressional Members back in their districts this week.

The Evansville Courier & Press from Indiana has become the latest paper to editorialize against the Employee Free Choice Act, warning:

A Courier & Press story published Monday reported that the Service Employees International Union has launched an effort in Evansville