Today's economic problems make it clear to most Americans that regulation is a good thing. However, a diarist recently said:
I don't get the urgent need for Unions "I'm looking for a union proponent slash expert to help me undestand the way unions work and are set up these days, as well as why they're a great idea. I'm a former Republican, and this is one sticking point I'm trying to reconcile with the rest of the Democratic party platform.
I feel like unions did important work getting us things like overtime, a 40-hour workweek, eight-hour days, et cetera. But the way I saw them until very recently, and even still somewhat today, is as bloated, corrupt... more concerned about power and the benefit of the union leaders than the members."
First off, there is no urgent call for Unions. However there has been a lot of alarmist right-wing advertisements about labor law reform, which is what I believe the diarist is talking about. Mandatory unions, like those in countries with high-standards of living like Germany or Singapore, are not being proposed in the U.S., although it is one method to keep employee-management relations in balance.
The problem in the U.S. is that years of Republican attacks have left our labor laws unenforcable. The law no longer assures the right of employees to join together to negotiate better wages and benefits. Only solidarity among union members ensures continuity of legacy unions. Organizing a new union is practically impossible and those without a union have no labor rights.
While this might seem great if you hate Unions, it really isn't. It creates a situation where our American owned auto factories cannot compete against foreign owned factories that can operate without the threat of unionization. GM, Ford, and Chrysler must provide benefits to current workers and retirees that Nissan, Honda, and Mitsubishi would never consider. Our auto industry is going bankrupt with the competitive advantage given to the newcomers who keep most of their jobs and profits in their home countries.
If you hate Unions, then eliminate labor rights for everyone. We cannot afford to pay extra benefits for our unionized government employees when the majority of taxpayers do not have a viable right to organize.
Fortunately, even the far-right has not proposed eliminating all labor rights. Instead they attack the Employee Free Choice Act, calling it undemocratic and a threat to our civilization. The founder of Home Depot even said that employers that don't actively fight the proposed labor law reform "should be shot."
They attack a provision in the Employee Free Choice Act called "card check." I wasn't a big fan of card check until I learned the details about how unions are formed. Now card-check just seems common sense.
Card check is most similar to the democratic process of voter initiatives. If 5% of voters in a state sign a petition for an initiative, it gets put on the secret ballot. The signers of the petition must list their names and address and are not allowed to sign anonymously.
To hold a secret ballot election to form a union, over 30% of the employees that will vote must sign a petition asking to be represented by a specific individual or labor organization. If over 50% sign the petition, often a secret-ballot election is considered a waste of time and resources. Companies can choose to recognize a union without a card check at all. For example, if the employees are showing majority support by a strike or other protest, the company can choose to bargain with a representative of the employees to get them back to work. Card-check and secret ballot elections are just the most civilized way to show majority support.
Imagine the demonstrations if a majority of voters in a state were in favor of an initiative. The state legislature might just dispense with the ballot initiative and pass the law themselves if there was that kind of support for an issue. But usually it is hard enough to get 5% of voters organized, so a majority of voters never signs the petition. But in card-check elections, unions must get a majority of employees to show support.
The right-wing opposition to the changes to card check claim that it eliminates the secret ballot. Not so. If less than a majority sign petitions to be represented, a secret ballot is held. If the card check is not for represententation by a specific individual or union, and is merely a petition for a secret ballot election of several candidates or unions to be the employee representative, there is nothing in the law to proclude a secret ballot election even if 100% have signed the petition.
Those who object to labor law reform, claim that the card-check provision in the Employee Free Choice Act will lead to coercion of employees. The Employee Free Choice Act does not make coercion legal. Illegal organizing tactics will still invalidate a union.
The Employee Free Choice Act mainly enacts meaningful penalties for firing union supporters. Currently it is far cheaper to stop an union drive by illegally firing anyone who supports the union then to allow a democratic election of employee representatives who could drive up labor costs by asking for fair wages and good benefits.
Labor law reform is urgently needed to allow employees the opportunity to choose to organize and act on their own behalf. It is not a governmnent handout and will not put companies out of business. Employees have an incentive to keep their employers strong. But America needs to be equitable and CEO's cannot take all the profits.
Obama has promised to sign the Employee Free Choice Act, and in the last Congress there was bipartisan support. Lets hope it gets done in 2009!