Thought Kossacks would like to see this spin on the Nevada caucus as being the GOP "proof" of why labor reform is "undemocratic". I'm pretty neutral on making changes to card check but think having actual penalties might discourage corporations from breaking the law....but this anti-card check argument in the Wash Post is hilarious!
As our democratic process grinds toward selecting the next leader of the free world, it is also shedding light on the values a democracy should hold dear. Last weekend in Nevada, former president Bill Clinton said he witnessed voter intimidation firsthand. According to Clinton, a union representative was telling workers to agree to caucus for Sen. Barack Obama or expect to get a work schedule making it impossible for them to attend at all.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Ok, first off I'm amazed that the GOP writer believes anything Bill Clinton says without making him take an oath. But then comes the punchline:
I wonder if, having seen such voter intimidation, the Clinton campaign will change its position on doing away with government-supervised secret-ballot elections for union representation. Under the Orwellian-named Employee Free Choice Act, secret-ballot elections to decide whether a plant is unionized would be replaced with a public "card check" system, under which both employers and union organizers would know how each worker voted. Sen. Hillary Clinton, Obama and former senator John Edwards all support this bill.
Wow. Thats cool huh. Bet you guys hadn't heard Clinton on her soapbox for the Orwellian-named Employee Free Choice Act. That's because she doesn't stump much at all for the bill. Personally, I think she's setting herself up to do a lot of explaining in October, but by then the undecided voters will make up there mind just by listening to the GOP candidate call the bill "undemocratic" and "Orwellian."
What does the bill really do? It adds penalties for violations of the National Labor Relations Act, you know, what our grandfathers used to get us a 40 hour week and safe working conditions. See back in the day, most companies simply obeyed the law. Their shareholder were mostly other Americans and there wasn't a drive to offshore jobs to third world countries.
Today, the investors are global and Wall Street analysts are pissed when a company is too good to its employees. Compare Costco to Sam's Club, the Walmart-owned warehouse store. Why does the founder of Costco pay his employees so good? And actually allow a union to exist inside his empire? Doesn't he know that he could fire any organizer and not have to pay a cent in penalties? He is violating his oath as a CEO to make the company profitable. (snark)
Anyhow, I could do Clinton/Obama/Edward's job by explaining to you what "card check" really is, but screw that. Those guys better learn how to do that themselves, or lose the election in November for not educating the public.