Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Republicans Acting Like Republicans

Congratulations to all the Republican members of the Utah House of Representatives for their unanimous vote for House Joint Resolution 8, the Secret Ballot initiative.  This vote gives Utahans the opportunity to clarify language in the Utah State Constitution in a 2010 vote which, if approved, will make sure that unions will continue to utilize the secret ballot in union organizing.

This is such a fundamental right for persons to cast a secret ballot that it is surprising that anyone, other than those that want to manipulate outcomes, would not support this resolution.

The federal "card check" legislation is such a travesty that this legislation gives us some hope that we can avoid federal preemption by the democrat controlled congressional mischief making.

I know that for some Republicans, casting this vote today was difficult... it shouldn't have been but the reality is that there was a lot of pressure by unions not to pass this legislation.  What is interesting is the overwhelming support by the citizens of Utah to preserve this right, including an overwhelming percentage of actual union members (that is union MEMBERS not Leaders!).  

The Republican Party Platform is explicit about our opposition to this insidious legislation that takes away peoples rights to the secret ballot in union organizing.  We can congratulate each Republican member of the Utah House of Representatives for holding fast to the fundamental right of the secret ballot and the Republican Platform.  

Thank you.

2 comments:

Jason The said...

It actually only tells us that our legislators are as reactionary as they can be obtuse.

Tell me where in the EFCA it prohibits a secret ballot?

Ah... see?

Bruce Hough said...

as you know... it doesn't prohibit... it makes it unlikely by giving the union leadership the option to "card check" (the not secret signing by members in front of union leaders) until they get 50% +1 and then are not required to hold an election... Jason, Jason, Jason... if you believe for one minute that this does not implicitly eliminate the secret ballot in many, many organizing efforts, you are naive indeed. To not require a secret ballot as the law currently reads is the same as being allowed to eliminate it. A slippery slope indeed... and yes Jason I have personal experience in labor negotiations and the unintended consequences employees are subjected to as a result. Look at the polling... most labor MEMBERS want the option of secret ballot... which must translate well to the most POTENTIAL MEMBERS wanting the same rights.