USA Today: Stop Card Check …
posted at 2:25 pm on October 16, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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USA Today’s editorial board comes out in opposition to Card Check today. The editorial notes the Orwellian construct of a bill named the Employee Free Choice Act that strips workers of the right to a secret ballot in organizing elections. The only way to stop it, according to USA Today, is to keep Barack Obama from becoming President:
This misguided measure passed the House shortly after Democrats took the majority in 2007. But it needs several more votes in the Senate and a president who will sign it. Barack Obama supports it; John McCain does not. It’s no surprise, then, that the AFL-CIO plans to spend an eye-popping $200 million this election cycle to support Obama and Democratic candidates for Congress. A win for Obama and big gains for Senate Democrats could remove the remaining obstacles to the euphemistically named “Employee Free Choice Act.”
Cajoled choice is more like it. The proposed change would give unions and pro-union employees more incentive to use peer pressure, or worse, to persuade reluctant workers to sign their cards. And without elections, workers who weren’t contacted by union organizers would have no say in the final outcome.
Labor leaders, such as AFL-CIO President John Sweeney in the space below, argue that the proposed law wouldn’t prohibit private balloting. This is accurate but misleading. Union organizers would have no reason to seek an election if they had union cards signed by more than 50% of workers. And if they had less than a majority, they’d be unlikely to call for a vote they’d probably lose.
The editors point out another strange addition that has gone unnoticed in the EFCA. Right now, when unions and management reach an impasse, the federal government has only limited powers to force a settlement, usually by invoking a cooling-off period to prevent unions from striking or management to conduct a lockout. The EFCA gives the federal government power to impose a contract on both sides in the event of an impasse. Since when did that become a federal power?
The argument of divided government is a powerful one, but one that the John McCain campaign has been reluctant to make explicit. In this case, as with judicial appointments, it may be the best argument McCain has left. Obama would get clear passage for any judicial appointments in a Senate dominated by his own party. Likewise, the EFCA will also sail through Congress and get passed into law in an Obama administration.
Right now, it looks like John McCain is all that separates the workers of American from the risk of losing their secret ballots in union organizing elections. Anyone interested in protecting themselves from union thuggery had better consider that calculation very, very carefully.
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McCain really needs to make ads about this, targetted for union areas. This bill is horrendous.
lorien1973 on October 16, 2008 at 2:27 PM
pigs are flying today
did somebody wake somebody up?
Janos Hunyadi on October 16, 2008 at 2:28 PM
Ed, there was a 527 ad up here about that, smacking down Stevens and young who do not want this.
Saying that Unions were great .. blah blah blah.
I wish I could remember the name of the group who did it.
upinak on October 16, 2008 at 2:28 PM
thuggeru = thuggery?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on October 16, 2008 at 2:31 PM
Is this the first card in the house that’s about to go?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on October 16, 2008 at 2:31 PM
Wow. I didn’t realize USA Today was a racist publication.
db on October 16, 2008 at 2:31 PM
I’ve never been in a union, being too much of a geek to be involved in labor occupations, but my brother is a carpenter and has been in two. Both ended up screwing him over royally for one reason or another before he could even complete his Journeyman training. Frankly, I’m already biased against them… and anything that destroys the right to secret ballot (directly or indirectly as this does) is abhorrent to me.
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 16, 2008 at 2:33 PM
I was aware of the attempted to do away with secret ballot voting, but was unaware of the new federal power to bind businesses to union contracts. It’s going to be a brave new world Obamanauts.
DFCtomm on October 16, 2008 at 2:33 PM
John McCain has already fallen down and I doubt that he can get up, so Republicans keeping enough seats in the Senate to filibuster would seem to be a much more realistic firewall for quite a number of things.
MB4 on October 16, 2008 at 2:33 PM
I cannot believe (although I can) that the Supreme Court would not be called into this fiasco if passed.
The “private” vote is a constitution protected voice.
Anyone supporting this is so dangerous that it is beyond belief.
Would be a good blue collar message to send…vote for Obama, and it may be the last vote you are ever allowed.
right2bright on October 16, 2008 at 2:33 PM
Veddy interesting,herr unions vant to know
who you voting for,I hope zee union members
papers are inz zee proper order!!
If not,me thinkz,the’ll be a constant target,
and harrassed!
canopfor on October 16, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Again, this does not help with Obama’s first class ID card.
Mcguyver on October 16, 2008 at 2:34 PM
If only McCain could get McGovern to change his endorsement and campaign for him in big union states.
Alas, a pipe dream.
BKennedy on October 16, 2008 at 2:34 PM
“Senator Government”
JAM on October 16, 2008 at 2:35 PM
When we lived in New Jersey 10 years ago, my wife was a research associate (scientist) at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. As condition of her employment, she had to join a union. The union that represented her at the University was……the Teamsters! The TEAMSTERS!!!!
Needless to say, she was quite pissed since that was money they stealing out of her paycheck in the form of union dues.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on October 16, 2008 at 2:36 PM
What rational do they give for this bill? How do they explain away the fact that it will be used to intimidate people into voting the way others want?
Blake on October 16, 2008 at 2:36 PM
And I thought they didn’t do anything.
This is a cultural onslaught, the likes of which has never been seen in this country. I find it astounding that anyone in America would not be outraged by the idea that you have to show your vote to everyone, unless you sit on a body that must answer to the public. It is as unamerican an idea as has ever come by.
progressoverpeace on October 16, 2008 at 2:36 PM
Senator Government is on the move!
spacekicker on October 16, 2008 at 2:38 PM
I’ve been in the Carpenters Union as well as the Teamsters. They’re just like organized gangs, they take from you with promises of having work all the time. We do it best. Unions are the way to go. Blah, Blah, Blah. In the end, they are makiing money off of you, that’s it. It’s like the mob, only legal. Booshiite I say.
Geronimo on October 16, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Ok guys and gals, lets look at those freedom loving Democrats and what their first legislation might be once they take full control:
The fairness doctrine- to silence conservative radio.
The employee free choice act- strips secret ballot from union voting and gives the government the authority to bind companies to union contracts.
Has anybody else heard of any other freedom threatening legislation that Democrats have in the wings?
DFCtomm on October 16, 2008 at 2:39 PM
POLLS ARE CLOSING:
Look at the Gallup traditional: 49-47.
Rassmussen 50-46
Zogby 49-44
Battleground has closed 7 points in 3 days!
Change in Momentum?
joepub on October 16, 2008 at 2:40 PM
Wake up and smell the Geritol! McCain will do no such thing, he is totally owned by the “racist” meme and will not risk besmirching his good name. Gentleman John shot his load lastnight, lights out America.
Lets try the Mocha
dmann on October 16, 2008 at 2:40 PM
mannnnnn, this is dangerous territory on a number of issues. Grab a friend and take them to VOTE! EDUCATE some PEEPS!
marklmail on October 16, 2008 at 2:41 PM
As I knew they would a week ago, when the night was even darker than it is now.
ManlyRash on October 16, 2008 at 2:42 PM
This ongoing socialist attack is creepy, and to think that one election is all that stands between us and it.
Bishop on October 16, 2008 at 2:42 PM
Astroturf alert.
ManlyRash on October 16, 2008 at 2:43 PM
I hope it is not too late to get this message accross. McGovern is the one who could stop Obama by endorsing McCain.
Obama is not just liberal he is communist. McGovern is liberal but he really does believe in the little guy.
petunia on October 16, 2008 at 2:44 PM
ManlyRash on October 16, 2008 at 2:42 PM
joepub on October 16, 2008 at 2:45 PM
If it passes there is a man-up solution, when the union goon starts to harrass you stick a Louisville Slugger in his ear.
Limerick on October 16, 2008 at 2:46 PM
fair elections
right to be rewarded for hard work
right to be rewarded for new ideas (inventions)
right to truth
right to climb the social ladder
right to chose
etc
allrsn on October 16, 2008 at 2:47 PM
I’ll go with the chicken hawk argument on unions.
I would like to know why anyone advocating for card check has not himself insisted his own employer hold a union vote.
As far as I know, Obama has never been in a union. Did he ever advocate a Community Organizers Local 104?
Did he, as an author, join any kind of writers guild?
Did Michelle ever join a hospital employees union?
How does he square his union support with his forced volunteerism program? He’ll have people taking jobs away from paid employees at every major University in the country.
MayBee on October 16, 2008 at 2:47 PM
Forget ads. Put the First Dude on the stump. Time is running short – send Sarah to the western states and Todd to the rust belt.
Y-not on October 16, 2008 at 2:48 PM
Remember, the Democrats will protect your librarey card.
tarpon on October 16, 2008 at 2:50 PM
If elected Our Dear Leader Obama will only be president for a single term, but his judicial appointments will last for generations.
The Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac/CRA debacle was enabled by the Warren court’s liberal economic rulings in the 1960’s.
SCOTUS nominations and judicial appointments: Another VERY IMPORTANT reason to stop Obama.
JustTruth101 on October 16, 2008 at 2:51 PM
Yes, McCain-Palin can win this thing. I think they will, if turnout is good and voter fraud is stopped.
Do not put too much hope in polls, however. The media is in the tank and will continue to hammer on bad news through November 4th.
Ignore polls.
Y-not on October 16, 2008 at 2:51 PM
AH HA, Ed I found the link to the ad I was talking about.
Anyone else think this ad is lying?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGj5W4Rbkcs
upinak on October 16, 2008 at 2:52 PM
Been a good day for Senator Government.
carbon_footprint on October 16, 2008 at 2:53 PM
Has anybody else heard of any other freedom threatening legislation that Democrats have in the wings?
DFCtomm on October 16, 2008 at 2:39 PM
The “Freedom of Choice” act that would allow unconditional abortions.
Will we have elections in 2012? or will Obama take over (a la Chavez/Mugabe) and suspend elections in order to ’save the nation’ from the deepening economic and social problems.
jerseyman on October 16, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Anyone who thinks this is a good idea is just an absolute piece of totalitarian thug garbage.
So there’s your candidate, Democrats. The garbage man.
It’s not even worthy of debate.
NoDonkey on October 16, 2008 at 2:55 PM
The Kelo crew? They scare me just as much.
progressoverpeace on October 16, 2008 at 2:55 PM
This proposal would make Uncle Joe Stalin proud. If George McGovern thinks it is too far to the left, it has to be pretty f’ing bad.
grdred944 on October 16, 2008 at 2:56 PM
This position of Obama’s seems pretty alarming to me, particularly when combined with the card check change:
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/#labor
“Protect Striking Workers: Obama and Biden support the right of workers to bargain collectively and strike if necessary. They will work to ban the permanent replacement of striking workers, so workers can stand up for themselves without worrying about losing their livelihoods.”
So that would mean once a union is able to intimidate a majority of employees to sign cards at a business, the union would essentially control that business. If faced with an unreasonable demand by the union, the business would either have to acquiesce or shut down.
scotta on October 16, 2008 at 2:57 PM
Just an idea. Lots of great points being made here to the choir. Bombard media organizations with questions about whether or not they’re covering any of these things. While most are in the tank, some may still be shamed into actually reporting. They say I’m a dreamer… but I’m not the only one. I’m sure JL would object to his lyrics being used on a conservative site. Sue me Yoko.
Sugar Land on October 16, 2008 at 3:00 PM
ManlyRash……..
Keep scratching dude, I pray I’m wrong and somehow McCain pulls it out inspite of his ineptitude and the reality of Identity politics. Bob Dole fielded a better campiagn that the ex-fighterpilot has so far, the altimeter is unwinding fast and McCain is distracted by a color of a bulb he can’t find in the manual, head down buried in the book while we spiral into the ocean!
dmann on October 16, 2008 at 3:05 PM
This could be a major boost to McCain–USA Today has a fairly large circulation.
Somebody should ask Joe the Plumber what he thinks of this.
Steve Z on October 16, 2008 at 3:06 PM
Wow!
*eats*
pseudonominus on October 16, 2008 at 3:09 PM
What rational is moving this country towards union and government control? Because they think they can. Because they (this sick liberal movement) are feeding on the lazyness of a spoiled populace that finds it easier to rely on a nanny-state mentality than to fend for themselves. Democrats have based their entire careers sucking off this lazy side of society.
Rovin on October 16, 2008 at 3:12 PM
Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan would be a good place to start running adds. Another golden opportunity just waiting to be exploited!
diogenes on October 16, 2008 at 3:17 PM
Whenever I come across a union member I ask them if they think companies who have contracts with government agencies or otherwise do business with the public sector should be allowed to give unlimited campaign contributions to politicians.
If they say “no”, then I ask them why should public employee unions be allowed to make campaign contributions to the very politicians who negotiate union contracts.
BTW, did you know that all those CWA union stickers on the back of ATT service trucks are there per their labor contract? I wonder how the union would feel if the company wanted to force employees to put company advertising on their personal vehicles.
rokemronnie on October 16, 2008 at 3:23 PM
At UC Berkeley, graduate student instructors (TAs)are required to join a union that “represents” them.
The union is the United Auto Workers.
So, a grad student doing research on the Roman Republic or Botany is required to join the UAW and pay dues to the UAW.
Here in California, we have no choice. We are not a Right to Work state.
Be aware that the Democrats are out to remove the section of the Taft Hartley act that allows states to be Right to Work. That means no one in a Right to Work state can be forced to join or pay dues to a union as a condition of employment. If the Dems succede, this will be outlawed.
Forced unionism will come to the 20-something states that are Right to Work now. That includes all those new auto plants in the South that are so successful now due to the absense of the UAW.
With forced unionism, product prices will sharply increase, due to massive raises and benefit costs demanded by the union.
Millions of jobs will go out of the country.
By the way, the Dems want to change the law that allows employers to replace striking workers with new hires. The Dems would outlaw this. You would have to capitulate to the union or go out of business.
Hail to our new overlords.
sdillard on October 16, 2008 at 3:26 PM
Frankly, if I owned a business and the employees tried to vote in the union, I’d go out of business before I’d accept it.
Both my husband, my son and my brother were screwed over by unions. They do NOT have the best interests of the workers at heart; they are only in it for their own gain.
Common Sense on October 16, 2008 at 3:32 PM
This is not Socialism, this is Nationalism. We’ll have to start calling union members comrade.
Sultry Beauty on October 16, 2008 at 3:43 PM
No you wouldn’t. You would off shore it, and that is exactly what will happen.
DFCtomm on October 16, 2008 at 3:43 PM
I thought the term was
or Man of Honor
capiche???
and you don’t see things the union way…the union boyz will give you an attitude adjustment…capich???
right4life on October 16, 2008 at 3:50 PM
“Cajoled” choice? More like coerced.
Gee, imagine a Marxist like Obama (the officially endorsed candidate of the Communist Party USA) promising to sign such an un-American, anti-democratic bill into law.
But don’t anybody dare question his patriotism. He loves this country and everything it stands for. That’s why he so eager to CHANGE it all.
AZCoyote on October 16, 2008 at 3:55 PM
I think Iraq use to have Card Check, and Hussein got 100% of the vote, same thing will happen for unions.
The left love Hussein, so they love Card Check.
WoosterOh on October 16, 2008 at 4:05 PM
Exactly, any business of any size keeps the option of going off-shore on the table.
right2bright on October 16, 2008 at 4:14 PM
He actually made it last night in the debate, though just quickly. Just before the abortion/judges question:
“We can’t afford that in the next eight years and Senator Obama, with the Democrats in charge of Congress, things have gotten worse. Have you noticed, they’ve been in charge the last two years.”
It was a bit rambling, and he didn’t hit it hard, but he was starting to get at it. I’m glad he actually pointed out that Democrats have been in charge of Washington for the last two years — that will come as a surprise to many Americans.
Re: Card Check…
I’d hope he’s hammering on this issue in targeted ads in blue-collar areas in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Remind workers that when Democrats stand with the unions, they are standing with the union bosses, not with the union members.
ClintACK on October 16, 2008 at 4:20 PM
– Allowing bankruptcy judges to rewrite mortgages – threatens freedom of contract and will stifle new mortgage lending
– Freedom of Choice Act (Obama told Planned Parenthood this will be the FIRST bill he will sign) will take away freedom of states to regulate abortion in any way, and require taxpayers to pay for abortions
– Dems held hearings this week on proposal to abolish 401(k) plans and force people to buy government bonds for their pension plans – no more freedom to invest
rockmom on October 16, 2008 at 4:33 PM
The problem is that in union heavy areas, the unions have been able to convince people that it was bad management, not the unions that destroyed the industry.
Sure it was. It was bad management that destroyed the Auto Industry in Detroit. All three huge companies had bad managers. Who were stupid enough and cowed enough to agree to outrageous, unsustainable demands from union bosses and lawyers who never did an honest day’s work in their lives and who have no idea how to run a productive business (like Obama).
Same with the many steel companies we used to have. All incompetently managed of course. By people too weak to stand up to union thugs.
NoDonkey on October 16, 2008 at 4:36 PM
Absolute astroturf alert
Get Sarah and the Dude out to those unions fast!! There are A LOT of hideous things that only have John McCain as president standing in front of- TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!
anniekc on October 16, 2008 at 5:48 PM
I hate it when liberals name certain acts. Next they will introduce the “Right to Life: Stop Babies From being Aborted by Doctors and Require Women to Carry Pregnancies to Full Term and Beyond Act.”
It will be in support of making abortion on demand by tax payer dollar a constitutional right.
Grafted on October 16, 2008 at 6:24 PM
No, actually, I think the terms are “Blockleiter” and “Ortsgruppenleiter.” That way we can include both Nationalism and Socialism.
I’m sure that Hugo Chavez is smokin’ and jokin’ right now. I think we need to start pushing this little piece of legislation into people’s faces, otherwise next election, we’ll have a 99% turn out in favor of Our Leader. (I’d put that in the language it deserves, but people always start to howl “gratuitous National Socialist” reference, like it’s a bad thing to call something for what it is)
Are we so confident of ourselves that we think that even a benign form of totalitarianism can’t happen here in the U.S.?
And just to try to sew a few things together:
creekspecter on October 16, 2008 at 7:15 PM
If card check is good enough for union elections why isn’t it good enough for general elections, too?
{^_^} I don’t believe it’s good in either case.
herself on October 17, 2008 at 4:45 AM
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