Secret ballots for workers in Mexico, but not the US?

Who said this about the secret ballot?

We understand the secret ballot is allowed for, but not required by Mexican labor law. However, we feel that the secret ballot is absolutely necessary in order to ensure that workers are not intimidated into voting for a union they might not otherwise choose.

We respect Mexico as an important neighbor and a trading partner, and we feel that the increased use of the secret ballot in union recognition elections will help bring real democracy to the Mexican workplace.

The same people who signed this letter also co-sponsor the Employee Free Choice Act here in the US, better known as Card Check.  Kevin Mooney exposes the hypocrisy for The Examiner:

Democrats leading the charge in 2009 for legislation that critics say will abolish secret ballots for employees voting in U.S. workplace unionization contests signed a 2001 letter urging Mexican officials to protect their workers’ electoral privacy as a defense against union thugs. …

Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the main “card check bill” sponsor on the House side, and nine other Democratic co-sponsors,” all signed the letter to Mexico demanding that the secret ballot be maintained. Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.),  Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.), Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.),  Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.), Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.). all joined Miller in both co-sponsoring EFCA and signing the 2001 letter.

So why are these American legislators more interested in protecting Mexican workers from union abuse than workers in their own country?  The easy answer: Mexican unions don’t contribute millions of dollars to the Democrats and to these politicians.  Therefore, they oppose the Union Boss Bills of Mexico while working to enable them here in the US.

The secret ballot exists to protect people from influence and intimidation, both in the workplace and in the electoral system.  It’s a sad day in America when one major political party has no problem defending that principle in someone else’s nation and abandons it for Americans.

Previous posts on Card Check:

• Will Stern strong-arm unions to join the SEIU?
• Video: Labor officials can’t explain why they need to dump the secret ballot
• Card check a dead letter?
• Audio: Sharpton opposing Card Check?
• Card Check loses a vote? Perhaps
• Video: Blago, SEIU, and Card Check
• DeMint conference call: Card Check, bailouts
• Card Check: A direct pipeline to corruption and abuse
• Can Obama get Democrats to support Card Check?
• Video: The Card Check ad CBS doesn’t want you to see
• Irony escapes the House Democratic Caucus
• Guess who used the secret ballot … again?
• Video: Meet Union Boss Bill
• USA Today: Stop Card Check …
• Video: McGovern on Card Check
• George McGovern to fight Card Check in debate ad
• Video: What if Congress passed Card Check for all elections?
• FRC Action Summit: Barbara Comstock on EFCA
• George McGovern: Stop Card Check
• Where did the SEIU get $150 million for politics?
• Right Online Conference: John Fund
• Maybe this is why they need Card Check?
• Video: “I Hate Heroes”
• Johnny Sac takes on the unions