To get Barack Obama elected key
By Jay Fitzgerald Monday, September 1, 2008
Unions in Massachusetts and across the nation are hoping for a delayed Labor Day present this year: The election of Democratic nominee Barack Obama as president.
Unions traditionally support Democrats for president - and Obama is no different.
But this year unions are convinced they’re closer than ever to possibly winning one of the most important and controversial labor victories in decades.
An Obama win, coupled with congressional gains by Democrats, could pave the way for passage of so-called “card check” legislation that could vastly increase union membership among workers across the nation.
Currently, those organizing unions must first get enough petition signatures from workers for the right to hold a workplace election on whether to join a union. But the “card check” plan would allow unions to be formed merely by having workers sign cards saying they want to organize. No elections. No post-petition campaigns. Instant unions.
Obviously, labor unions and employers see the issue differently.
Bob Haynes, head of the powerful AFL-CIO of Massachusetts, said the current system is flawed because the time in between signing petitions and holding elections is used by employers to “intimidate” workers into not supporting unions. “It’s a question of fairness,” said Haynes in a phone interview last week from Denver, where he was attending Obama’s official coronation as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president.
Unions are spending millions to make sure Obama - who supports “card checks” - gets elected. Last year, the House passed the “card check” legislation but it failed in the Senate over a filibuster. The bill probably would have been vetoed by the Republican President George W. Bush. But with Obama in the White House and Democrats making gains on Capitol Hill, passage of the bill would be within sight, said Haynes.
Rick Lord, president of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, said passage would be a disaster for workers’ rights and employers. He said unions are trying to take away “the fundamental right of a secret vote” because, once in closed voting booths, workers often vote against joining unions, even if they’ve previously signed petitions. Workers can too easily be intimidated into signing cards, in the open, if pressured by fellow workers, he said. Employees need the privacy of a voting booth if they’re going to make an honest decision about union membership, he said.
For Massachusetts, there’s much at stake. About 16 percent of the state’s work force, or about 500,000 employees, is now unionized. That number could easily rise if “card check” is passed. About 14 percent of the nation’s work force is now unionized. Again, both sides expect that number would also rise if “card check” is passed.
Government entities are already heavily unionized, while private-sector union membership has declined in recent decades. The labor movement wants to change that private-sector trend.
“It’s absolutely the number one issue for unions,” said Haynes of “card check.”
“It’s a very serious issue - and businesses are taking it very seriously,” said Lord, noting that millions of dollars are being spent by both sides to support or oppose the measure.