Editorial
Published: January 16, 2009
If workers want to join together, form a union and protect themselves from what they may consider to be neglect or even abuse, there is nothing stopping them. Unions were formed years ago right out of the factories and sweatshops of the American landscape to give employees a voice.
But things have changed.
Too often, unionized labor has held companies hostage and seemingly holds the upper hand regarding company matters. Ask the hard-working, unionized, laid off masses in the Detroit auto factories how things have panned out. Not so well.
A bill dubbed the Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800) would make it easier for workers to unionize. Should a majority of a company’s employees sign authorization cards designating the union as its bargaining representative, it would be recognized by the National Labor Relations Board.
Sound good?
No. The cards voting for or against a union aren’t part of a secret ballot. It’s very conceivable that workers will know where their fellow co-workers stand and some could very well be subject to pressure and harassment. Open ballots are simply un-American. People should not be bullied into voting “yes” or “no” for anything. This is a democratic society in which every person should be entitled to having his vote counted without being subjected to ridicule.
As companies should not seek retribution toward employees who support unions, unions should not seek retribution against employees who do not want to have them.
Imagine if our ballots at the polls were open and available for public scrutiny. There’s a reason why votes were made for years behind curtains. If we choose to have an Obama sticker on the back of our automobiles, so be it. If we choose not to discuss our political leanings, we don’t have to. By the same token, a worker’s private thoughts for or against unionization should not be public knowledge.
The fact that President-elect Barack Obama supports this bill shows how beholden to unions he is. It would be encouraging to see the president-elect re-study the language of the bill and its attitude toward an open ballot. It would also be encouraging to see our Alabama lawmakers in Washington stand up to this bill and work toward its defeat.