Secret Ballot Watch

President Obama is on an important mission this week – and its success depends on the secret ballot.

The irony is worthy of a gold medal: After all, the Employee Free Choice Act, which Obama supports, sets aside the secret ballot for workers. The Washington Post gives the play by play here:  

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“President Obama has decided to travel to Copenhagen to support the Chicago bid team seeking the 2016 Summer Games, a development that many expect could swing the vote for Chicago in Friday's selection.

“‘President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama symbolize the hope, opportunity and inspiration that makes Chicago great, and we are honored to have two of our city's most accomplished residents leading our delegation in Copenhagen,’ Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley said in a statement.

“Madrid, Rio De Janeiro and Tokyo are also seeking the 2016 Summer Games. The site will be chosen with a secret ballot of the 100-plus members of the International Olympic Committee.

“Since White House advisers expressed uncertainty three weeks ago about whether Obama would join a Chicago's delegation, the president has faced increasing pressure from his home town to attend.”

Shipley, “Obama Will Travel to Copenhagen to Support Chicago’s Bid for 2016 Games,” The Washington Post (emphasis added), 09.28.09

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There’s a good reason why the committee selects cities by secret ballot. Partly because of the major economic boost that the Olympics usually bring, many world leaders such as Obama personally lobby the committee on behalf of their home cities. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, for example, successfully pitched the 2012 games for London – beating out a plea from then-Sen. Hillary Clinton and others for New York.

Imagine the pressure committee members would face if they selected cities by the rules of the Employee Free Choice Act – and had their votes made public. In theory, the world leaders could retaliate if their city was not chosen.

But that will never happen, thanks to the protection the secret ballot provides. Workers who make an equally important economic decision about forming a union deserve the same protection, from union organizers and management alike. Here’s hoping that President Obama is successful in Copenhagen – and that the Employee Free Choice Act fails miserably in Congress.

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