July 24, 2004

BIG "D" DEMOCRATS:

LABOR'S FRIENDS (Robert Novak, July 24, 2004, Townhall)

After disappointing organized labor by picking Sen. John Edwards as his running mate, Sen. Kerry has pleased union leaders in coming out in opposition to secret ballots by workers in deciding whether to accept union representation.

Organized labor wants to do away with secret balloting and instead use the "card check," in which a union gains accreditation as a company's bargaining agent by soliciting union cards from members. Critics say that method results in coercion of workers by union organizers.

Both Kerry and Edwards have joined Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in urging the National Labor Relations Board to adopt card check instead of secret ballots. Earlier, much of organized labor had pressed Kerry to select Rep. Richard Gephardt for vice president.


Is there any reason for it other than intimidation?

Posted by Orrin Judd at July 24, 2004 7:46 AM
Comments

No.

Posted by: Uncle Bill at July 24, 2004 9:42 AM

This is another one of those issues that seems like a missed opportunity for Republicans. "John Kerry opposes secret ballots" would be a great ad headline. Let him and the unions try to explain the benefits of "card check."

Posted by: PapayaSF at July 24, 2004 1:54 PM

Will somebody with some principle please stand up and demand that the National Labor Relations Act be repealed? Unionism is fine; mandated unionism, sanctioned by federal law that gives special privileges to an arbitrary group, is not.

Unions don't deserve special government privileges any more than my grandmother's bridge club does. If a bunch of people want to band together and call themselves a "union," fine. But stripping rights from individuals who call themselves "employers" is about as anti-American as you can get.

Is there any chance we'll actually get to ever roll back the New Deal, the NLRA, and all the other socialist crap that was unconstitutionally foisted onto us back in the '30s and '40s?

Posted by: Poo-poo-ya SF at July 24, 2004 10:15 PM

PPYSF:

There is the Beck decision, but to my knowledge it has never really been enforced.

Posted by: jim hamlen at July 24, 2004 11:05 PM

Without special dispensations, Unions are illegal cartels in violation of the antitrust laws.

Posted by: David Cohen at July 27, 2004 9:18 PM
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