Secret Ballot Watch

There were few details reported about a White House meeting earlier this week between President Obama and card check supporters.

But we do know some things. First, the Employee Free Choice Act was a topic of discussion. Second, supporters said President Obama’s commitment to the bill is “strong” even though it’s been in limbo for months. The Associated Press sets the scene:   

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"Obama met for about an hour with the National Labor Coordinating Committee, a group that includes the two big labor federations – AFL-CIO and Change to Win – along with leaders from 11 major unions representing 16 million workers. …

“A White House statement called the meeting ‘a productive conversation about shared priorities like creating jobs, health care reform and the Employee Free Choice Act.’”

Hananel, “Obama Still Pushing for Union Organizing Bill,” The Associated Press, 07.14.09 

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That must have been a short “productive conversation” if the priority subjects were about creating jobs, health care reform, and card check.

For one thing, experts say card check is poised to be a job killer – not a good thing to be at a time when even President Obama expects the unemployment rate to go higher than 9.5 percent.

As for health care reform, there is mounting evidence that it, too, kills jobs more than it creates them.

So what were President Obama and the card check supporters talking about specifically? Beats us. But we’ll guess the only thing their “productive” conversation will produce will be longer unemployment lines in the future.

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