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Unions’ Bid to End Secret Ballots Seen Likely to Succeed
A Semi-News/Semi-Satire from AzConservative ^ | 8 Nov 2008 | John Semmens

Posted on 11/11/2008 8:48:09 AM PST by John Semmens

A top priority for organized labor in the next congress will be passage of the inaptly named “Employee Free Choice Act.” If passed, this law would do away with secret ballots for union representation. Instead, unions would be mandated once a majority of employees of a firm signed cards (the so-called “card-check” system) expressing a preference for union representation.

“The issues are efficiency and solidarity,” said David Bonior, chairman of American Rights at Work, a union lobby. “Secret ballots delay the establishment of union authority to speak for the workers. They also undermine solidarity by allowing individuals to covertly deviate from accepted group norms.”

Under current law, once a majority of workers at a business have signed cards requesting an election to determine whether the company will be unionized, a vote by secret ballot is held. If a majority votes for unionization, all workers will be represented by the union. Historically, unionization has been the choice the majority of the time (~55%).

Mark McKinnon, spokesman for the Workforce Fairness Institute, called the proposed law the antithesis of free choice and warned that it would lead to coercion. “When a union thug is looking over your shoulder, your decision to sign the card-check is not a free choice,” McKinnon insisted. “It’s about as free as voting was in the Soviet Union.”

Bonior denigrated McKinnon’s objections as “unprogressive.” “You can say what you want about the Soviet Union, but you can’t deny that the workers were protected from capitalist exploitation,” Bonior pointed out. “The Employee Free Choice Act will enable us to make similar strides on behalf of the working class here in America.”

(Excerpt) Read more at azconservative.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Humor; Politics
KEYWORDS: democrats; satire; socialism; thugery
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1 posted on 11/11/2008 8:48:11 AM PST by John Semmens
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To: John Semmens
They also undermine solidarity by allowing individuals to covertly deviate from accepted group norms.

It's frightening that he actually uses this as an argument toward his end. Good lord.
2 posted on 11/11/2008 8:50:36 AM PST by ConservativeWarrior (In last year's nests, there are no birds this year.)
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To: John Semmens

Every Republican senator, including Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, voted to filibuster this thing last time around. I would think that as long as we have 41 Reps, we should be able to block it. Hopefully.


3 posted on 11/11/2008 8:50:51 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative
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To: John Semmens
You caught me.


4 posted on 11/11/2008 8:51:19 AM PST by KarlInOhio (11/4: The revolutionary socialists beat the Fabian ones. Where can we find a capitalist party?)
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To: John Semmens

5 posted on 11/11/2008 8:52:49 AM PST by Fred (The Democrat Party is the Nadir of Nihilism and BO is a WHINING marxist)
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To: John Semmens
David Bonior is downright frightening in his rhetoric:

Bonior denigrated McKinnon’s objections as “unprogressive.” “You can say what you want about the Soviet Union, but you can’t deny that the workers were protected from capitalist exploitation,” Bonior pointed out. “The Employee Free Choice Act will enable us to make similar strides on behalf of the working class here in America.”

Can you believe an American politician is speaking in these terms?
6 posted on 11/11/2008 8:53:52 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative
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To: KarlInOhio

Haha!

Me too. I feel stupid!


7 posted on 11/11/2008 8:54:52 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative
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To: St. Louis Conservative

And Bonior is on the short list for Sec. of Labor


8 posted on 11/11/2008 8:56:17 AM PST by Fred (The Democrat Party is the Nadir of Nihilism and BO is a WHINING marxist)
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To: St. Louis Conservative
John Semmens is a genius at taking the real opinions of the left and filling in the words that they wouldn't dare say out loud. I had a fiery reply typed up about "[secret ballots] also undermine solidarity by allowing individuals to covertly deviate from accepted group norms" before I gave one last look at the source.
9 posted on 11/11/2008 8:58:46 AM PST by KarlInOhio (11/4: The revolutionary socialists beat the Fabian ones. Where can we find a capitalist party?)
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To: St. Louis Conservative

What’s scary is that this isn’t instantly identifiable as satire. Though libs aren’t speaking so openly about their beliefs today, let’s check back in 18 months.


10 posted on 11/11/2008 8:59:14 AM PST by ConservativeWarrior (In last year's nests, there are no birds this year.)
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To: John Semmens

Is there any possibility that unions will be swallowing a poison pill as millions of really pissed off workers are forced to join them and cough up a large chunk of their paychecks for the “protection” of union mafia bosses?


11 posted on 11/11/2008 9:00:39 AM PST by FateAmenableToChange
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To: John Semmens
The issues are efficiency and solidarity,” said David Bonior, chairman of American Rights at Work

No, the issue is intimidation, beatings and thugs against those who do not vote as the union says vote. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS ABOUT AND NOTHING ELSE!!!! The ONLY way for unions to grow and get what they want is through intimidation.

12 posted on 11/11/2008 9:01:20 AM PST by RetiredArmy (America is entering four very long and cold years. First victim: liberty)
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To: John Semmens
I hope if this atrocity is passed into law, it goes up through the courts for a SCOTUS smack-down. If conservatives won't fund such a fight we're pretty much done.

In related news, the DOW is being predicted to drop below 6,000 by next spring.

13 posted on 11/11/2008 9:02:11 AM PST by pabianice (HOW)
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To: ConservativeWarrior

“They also undermine solidarity by allowing individuals to covertly deviate from accepted group norms”

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH


14 posted on 11/11/2008 9:03:09 AM PST by tcrlaf (You Voted DEMOCRAT-You'l,l Look GREAT In A Burqa!)
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To: ConservativeWarrior
"Whadda mean, you aint' gonna sign?! You gonna sign, RIGHT HERE, boy. You wantsa union."
15 posted on 11/11/2008 9:04:43 AM PST by MeanWestTexan (A Jew voting for Obama is like a chicken voting for Col. Sanders.)
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To: St. Louis Conservative
It is scary. It's right out of Atlas Shrugged.
16 posted on 11/11/2008 9:06:42 AM PST by oblomov
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To: John Semmens
How come satire nowadays come out as semi-accurate reporting? Actually sound more like “journalism” than most of CNN, AP, CBS, et. al..
17 posted on 11/11/2008 9:06:44 AM PST by JimSEA
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To: St. Louis Conservative

What a shock! You mean Snowe didn’t go crawling on her knees to the Dems as she usually does?

Would a law that removes the right of a secreat ballot stand a Supreme Court challange?


18 posted on 11/11/2008 9:07:35 AM PST by WellyP
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To: ConservativeWarrior

No kidding this should go on the GOP’s ‘over our dead body’ list.

Let the Dims raise taxes that is easy to undo and will dirve people away from them. Stuff like this is hard to undo and will swell the coffers of the DNC


19 posted on 11/11/2008 9:07:43 AM PST by N3WBI3 (Ah, arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient of you. -- Londo Mollari)
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To: John Semmens

I”ve seen Marxists fight secret ballots in every venue they control. It’s intimidation and they call it “consensus.”


20 posted on 11/11/2008 9:09:50 AM PST by Seeing More Clearly Now
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