ABC expressed support for the “Secret Ballot Protection Act” (S. 478/H.R. 1176) introduced Feb. 25 by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), Rep. Howard McKeon (R-CA), and Rep. John Kline (R-MN) that would amend the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to protect the right of employees to vote in a secret ballot election when deciding whether to join a union. The bill would prohibit unions from subjecting workers to a “card check” campaign.
Under the current system, secret-ballot elections are conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and ensure a fair election free of employer and union coercion by requiring an NLRB agent to be present and to oversee the entire voting process. Both employer and union representatives are able to monitor the election process; however, they are strictly observers and may not speak with the voters or see how a particular employee voted. Under the “card check” process, employees would have to indicate their choice of whether to join a union by signing a card in front of their co-workers, employers and union organizers.
“The current system works, yet workers’ freedoms are being threatened by the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act” soon to be introduced in the 111th Congress,” ABC stated in a letter to members of Congress before the bill was introduced. “This ill conceived legislation would amend the NLRA by permitting labor unions to evade secret ballot elections. To that end, ABC strongly supports the “Secret Ballot Protection Act,” which would ensure that employees have the right to make their decision regarding unionization in private, free from coercion by employers, unions or other employees by requiring a secret ballot election for union recognition.”
To view a PDF of ABC’s letter, click
here.