Secret Ballot Watch

Although the card check legislation has been widely panned by editorial writers, small business owners, and opinion leaders from across the political spectrum, this chilly reception has not stopped the bill’s advocates from carrying on their campaign to do away with the secret ballot in workplace organizing elections. So reported Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call today in a piece that highlights the continued lobbying both for and against this legislation:  

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“Despite faltering support for a bill that would make it easier for unions to organize, backers of the Employee Free Choice Act are continuing to push key Senators to move forward on the legislation. …

“Union organizers held more than 400 grass-roots events, sent more than 27,000 letters to Members of Congress and put in nearly 100,000 calls supporting EFCA. Additionally, the unions spent more than $1 million on two TV ads over the recess, AFL-CIO spokeswoman Amaya Smith said.”

Palmer, “No Letup in Card Check Lobbying,” Roll Call, 04.23.09 

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It’s worth asking who exactly is behind the multi-million dollar campaign to enact this controversial legislation. Although labor bosses are obvious – and open – supporters of the plan, other groups have lined up behind the bill as well. The Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, for example.

And then there’s ACORN. Although the group has been publicly cited as a supporter of the legislation, its ties to organized labor may have been a little too close for comfort. The Washington Examiner has the story:  

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“Just a few days after The Washington Examiner reported on links between the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now (ACORN) and organized labor it appears the self described group of non-partisan community activists has erased web site references to union affiliates that were cited in the article.

“Fortunately, Matthew Vadum, a senior analyst and editor with the Capital Research Center (CRC) who closely scrutinized ACORN and its many affiliates has a record of the web site.

“The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and ACORN are essentially joined at the hip. SEIU Locals 100 and 880 were previously identified as allied organizations on ACORN’s web site. But the reference was deleted shortly after The Examiner story ran. …

“Top ACORN officers have also been supportive of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), also known as the Card Check bill, Vadum points out. The bill was reintroduced earlier this year by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). Organized labor has contributed to members of congress, mostly Democrats, who have expressed support for Card Check.”

Mooney, “ACORN Deletes References to Unions from Web Site,” Washington Examiner, 04.22.09 

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With special interests publicly – and not so publicly – joining forces in support of card check, it’s clear that the battle over workers’ rights isn’t going to be over anytime soon.

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