Union Officials Attempting to Discard Secret Ballots

"For decades U.S. organized labor insisted that secret ballots were a
sacrosanct necessity in determining whether workers wanted to join in unions. Now labor bosses want to chuck the secret ballot; unionization would instead be decided by signing a petition or pro-union signature cards."
…Steve Forbes, "Fact and Comment," Forbes Magazine, 03/26/07

Granting union officials the power to grant bargaining rights in either a public or private sector business by allowing them to pressure reluctant workers into signing so-called "card-check" petitions, (removing their current right to a private up-or-down vote), will never help individual workers. Instead it hands their individual freedom over to a union official who seeks to speak for all employees, willing members or not.

According to the Forbes magazine article cited above, more than 35% of government workers feeding off the taxpayers are now unionized. This is "compared to a paltry 7.4% in the private sector," signaling to labor union officials that they can have little success in winning secret ballot elections by the vast majority of America’s workers. Their response is to end the secret ballot elections and replace them with a "card-check" scheme open to numerous union official’s pressure tactics on individual workers.

The American people have thrived on their individual freedom of choice for generations spanning into three centuries. Personal decisions such as those represented by the secret ballot have been the central element of that liberty in determining our nation’s leaders, our form of government, our laws, and our lifetime choices – be they individual, local or nationwide.

It must never be abandoned or corrupted, either by ambitious, arrogant, and zealous union officials or their misguided legislative cronies.

It no longer amazes me to see Senators and union thugs do a "flip-flop" for the sole purpose of self-preservation. These individuals are looking out for themselves and to advance their agendas with the blessing of government officials. Are they truly interested in the rights of the people they represent? Are they concerned about creating jobs or at least protecting them?

The cold hard facts about union membership are that it’s shrinking. The unions need "card check" to grow their numbers. The unions want their due for the millions of dollars taken from paychecks and given to their union friendly candidates.

Pennsylvania ranks 41st as the best state for business, 46th in economic competiveness and tied for the worst place for worker freedoms. Is this the Pennsylvania we want to do business in? Raise our families? We can’t continue this slide to the bottom of the rankings.

The Employee Free Choice Act must be stopped and the personal freedom of the private ballot preserved. The binding arbitration clause in the Act will cripple business and further set business back in trying to be competitive in the global economy.

Over 1/5 of the PA State House and 1/5 of the PA Senate have signed onto a resolution to the defeat of "card check." These statesmen and women know what will happen in PA and across our nation if "The Employee Forced Choice Act" passes.

Pennsylvanians for Right to Work has been standing up to the union bosses and the union supported legislators. Together we need to make our voices heard on this issue and other restrictions to free enterprise that governments levy onto the backs of business.

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Mrs. Staub is available for speaking engagements and radio and television interviews/debates. Please contact Jada Baker ([email protected]) to arrange a speaking engagement and/or interview/debate. The PA Right to Work website has been updated. Please visit www.PARightToWork.org.

Pennsylvanians for Right to Work is not affiliated with any other Right to Work organization.