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Secret Ballot Watch

If it ain’t broke…

New Data Show Unions Winning Two-Thirds of Secret Ballot Elections – Yet They Continue Fighting to Eliminate Secret Ballot Because the System is Broken?

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 6, 2009 | Alexa Marrero ((202) 225-4527)
Congressional Democrats and their big-spending special interest allies are having a hard time making the case for their anti-worker card check plan. Not only has it been widely rejected by the public – non-union and union members alike – but it has been panned by political leaders and opinion makers from across the political spectrum.

Now, new data from the National Labor Relations Board confirms that the secret ballot election process is working, and in fact that unions are winning a greater share of these elections than they have in decades – clearly refuting union leaders’ claims that the secret ballot must be cast aside because it prevents them from winning elections. The Bureau of National Affairs reports— 

"Unions won 66.8 percent of representation elections conducted by the National Labor Relations Board in 2008 …

“The number of resolved representation elections held in 2008 also increased from 2007 levels, the first increase since 1998 in the number of elections conducted by the board …

“The union win rate increased to 66.8 percent in 2008, up from 60.4 percent the year before. According to statistics provided by the NLRB, this is the highest win rate since 1955 when unions won 67.6 percent of the elections in which they participated. Unions have won more than half of all representation elections in each of the past 12 years.”

Amber, “2008 Union Win Rate Rises to 66.8 Percent, As Number of NLRB Elections Also Increases,” Bureau of National Affairs Daily Labor Report, 05.05.09

This follows the release of information by the NLRB late last year showing that in FY2008:

  • 93% of all initial elections were conducted within 56 days of the filing of the petition; and

  • Initial elections in union representation elections were conducted in a median of 39 days from the filing of the petition.

To recap: secret ballot elections are conducted an average of 39 days from the filing of the petition, and unions win 2/3 of such elections.

Does this sound like a system that’s broken?

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