Posted on 09/28/2007 10:16:12 AM PDT by redwill
MARLBORO— Gov. Deval L. Patrick yesterday signed a bill that will expand public workers’ rights to organize.
The Majority Authorization bill, signed during an appearance yesterday at the Massachusetts AFL-CIO’s annual convention, will allow public employees to unionize by garnering majority support in writing, known as the “card check” option, instead of going through secret-ballot elections.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegram.com ...
By Priyanka Dayal TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF This bill is about leveling the playing field between labor and management.
Gov. Deval L. Patrick
MARLBORO— Gov. Deval L. Patrick yesterday signed a bill that will expand public workers’ rights to organize.
The Majority Authorization bill, signed during an appearance yesterday at the Massachusetts AFL-CIO’s annual convention, will allow public employees to unionize by garnering majority support in writing, known as the “card check” option, instead of going through secret-ballot elections.
The House passed the bill Sept. 18, and the Senate gave its approval Sept. 20.
“This bill is about leveling the playing field between labor and management,” the governor said in a statement. “It affirms the commonwealth’s policy of supporting workers who should be able to bargain collectively for fair wages, decent health care and on-the-job protections.”
Republican lawmakers tried to block passage of the bill this year but were unsuccessful.
State Rep. Karyn E. Polito, R-Shrewsbury, said in an interview yesterday that she opposes the bill. She called its provisions heavy-handed.
“I feel a private, secret ballot is the democratic, fair, open process of voting, and that should not have been compromised,” she said. “I understand the place for unions. However, I feel that when a group wants to unionize, all members of that group should know about the move to unionize. These new provisions … may influence employees to vote a certain way, when, in fact, a secret or private ballot may protect them.”
Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Robert J. Haynes lauded Mr. Patrick’s signing of the bill as a protection of the rights of workers to organize.
Mr. Patrick was one of many Democrats to speak to labor-union members at their convention this week at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel.
U.S. Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., a Delaware Democrat who is running for president, participated in a presidential candidate debate in New Hampshire on Wednesday night and was slated to give a luncheon address at the AFL-CIO convention yesterday.
But Mr. Biden ended up skipping the convention and returned to Washington early for a Senate vote. In his stead, he sent his sons, Beau and Hunter Biden.
Beau Biden, the attorney general of Delaware, tried to drum up support for his father by portraying him as the most union-friendly Democrat running for president.
“Not many Democrats are proud to say they were elected because of the unions,” he said. “My dad was with you before it was cool to be with you.”
Mr. Haynes called Sen. Biden a foreign policy expert who would make a great secretary of state or president.
Secretary of State William F. Galvin also spoke to union members, calling on them to endorse Democrats and to set the agenda for next year’s presidential election.
“Organized labor is in a commanding position to set the agenda for 2008 and influence debate after that,” he said.
Contact Priyanka Dayal by e-mail at pdayal@telegram.com.
Who’s losing companies faster, Taxachussetts or Kalifornia?
The secret ballot is one of the ancient cornerstones of democracy. I still can’t believe anyone can propose something like this with a straight face, let alone find political allies ready to go on record supporting it.
Governor Tinkie Winkie strikes again! This maroon can only aspire to achieve the Stupid” level!
I first heard of Deval Patrick as Clinton’s “quota henchman” at EEOC Division of Civil Rights.
That’s correct, he was #3 at the Jusice Dept under Bozo as well. Deval has yet to find anything that he cannot further destroy.
California made this mistake years ago. Before state and local employees could join unions, they had little power in state politics. Now, with all state, county, and local jobs unionized, the big unions have a Legislature that is bought and paid for.
As anyone who lives in CA knows, pretty much every problem we have can be laid at the feet of union demands on state legislatures. The Democratic polititians don’t dare say no. If they do, they lose all funding and they get a crowd of screaming nurses or teachers everywhere they go.
I’m leaving soon. This place is hopeless.
The part about allowing state workers to join unions is not the scary part to me.... unions do have thier place.
The part that is truely scary is doing away with the secret ballot. Some of the intimidation tactics some union organizers use on workers would make the KGB blush. Having a secret ballot PROTECTS the rights of workers. If they WANT a union, the secret ballot allows them to vote for it, WITHOUT INTIMIDATION...... if they don’t want a union, the secret ballot allows them to vote against it, WITHOUT INTIMIDATION. The only thing doing away with the secret ballot method will do is make it easier for strong arm tactics to be employed.
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