Employee Free Choice Without Card Check: "Card Check Lite?"

Small Businesses Face Sgnificant Problems with "Card Check Lite"

The small business owner will face significant challenges under the pending legislation, apart from "Card Check Lite."

Consider the following provisions of the proposed legislation with respect to arriving at the first collective bargaining agreement:

- 10 days after the union has been certified and the union

requests to meet, the Parties “shall” meet.

- 90 days from the date bargaining commences, if the

parties have failed to reach an agreement, federal

mediation is required on the demand of the Union or Company.

- 30 days after the request for mediation is made, and no

agreement is reached, a Federal Arbitration panel will

convene and decide the work rules, pay rates and

benefits the Company must give the employees who

are part of the bargaining unit.

- The Arbitration decision will govern the employee-company

relationship for 2 years unless amended by the parties

during this 2 year period.

The total period – 120 days from union organization of the workplace to the first collective bargaining agreement; admittedly an extremely short period of time to negotiate such an agreement. Especially if the owner of the business is a small businessman or businesswomen.

Now, couple this with the increased penalties applied to employers for unfair labor practices from the current $5,000 per violation to $20,000, with no similar increase applied to labor unions.

One can easily see that many small businesses, what many observers believe to be the key tolet alone create additional jobs.

Jay Eckhaus of FL @ Jul 22, 2009 00:26:09 AM

Employee Free Choice Act

So accommodations have to be made to get moderate Democrats to support EFCA. They forget that when the Republicans controlled Congress and the White House, their so-called "moderate" label didn't mean anything. They would have been glad to get a crumb if it was thrown their way. Well maybe EFCA will be weakened but whatever version is finally passed, it will be as good or as bad as the promise of the NLRB when it was created. The current law hasn't worked not so much because it is weak, but because the people who are supposed to enforce it (NLRB) have failed miserably. Ultimately, the NLRB will either make EFCA or break it. Under the present Secretary of Labor's (Hilda Solis) leadership, I believe that she will make sure every dot and every "i" in whatever form EFCA passes will be vigorously enforced. That's why there is a full court press to weaken it so that her hands will be tied. It's not about secret ballots. That's just the smokescreen.

AnRod of AZ @ Jul 19, 2009 13:16:32 PM

Emplloyee Free Choice Act

Does American labor really want the french sociallism/communistic way of life here?

Arthur Rothman of NJ @ Jul 18, 2009 16:00:46 PM

Unions Are Essential

Can any of you sheeple explain why the decline of the labor movement has coincided with the decline of the middle class?

Unions result in higher wages and better benefits. Most employers don't want you to see it that way because they don't want to pay you higher wages or give you better benefits. Simple.

Check out France. Their standard of living is very good: they have great health care and plenty of time off. And big surprise, the country's unions are more powerful than the unions anywhere else. When the government threatens to make life difficult for the working-class, they go on strike, shut the society down for a few days or weeks and the government backs off. France is arguably the only country on Earth where the People are actually in control.

There's a lot more to the world's economy than Fox Noise would like you to know.

Hilary Smith of CA @ Jul 17, 2009 21:47:17 PM

Employee Free Choice Without Card Check

This piece of legislation only make sense if you are being paid off or are smoking Crack!

Pip of NM @ Jul 17, 2009 15:20:46 PM

The best thing that can happen in a small/medium shop

is for the owners to adopt employee handbook provisions that mimic those typically found in union contracts---demonstrating that they are willing to give everything that can be given WITHOUT 1) the cost to employees of dues, 2) an adversarial spirit between management and labor, and 3) the generally unneeded influence of outside organizers/negotiators---who are mouthy but don't know s**t about the local company or business conditions.

I know. I worked at a place for 21 years that did this quite successfully. The owners I worked for learned to be both smart and gracious in this regard. BUT, THEY "LEARNED" AFTER AN 18-MONTH BRUSH WITH THE UNITED STEELWORKERS.

The purpose of the Employee Free Choice Act is not to get more money paid into unions. It is to scare employers into doing what they ought to be doing anyway. And after the resurgence of the "employment-at-will" emphasis since 1982, we certainly need this legislation.

Muser of NM @ Jul 17, 2009 14:24:23 PM

We should all stand up against EFCA

Read what this company did in Miami:

http://www.miamiherald.com/business/breaking-news/story/1142628.html?mi_pluck_action=comment_submitted&qwxq=2795121#Comments_Container

The SEIU intimidates and harass employers who provide gainful employment until the company can't afford to fight any longer. It's a matter of who can endure more pain, and normally the company loses. At least someone in Miami is fighting back.

Charles of AL @ Jul 17, 2009 14:16:55 PM

You have no right but to do the Job given you on anothers property

These union make me sick. They think just because they get a job they should be granted some of the property rights that the owner is gaurenteed. IE To be safe and secure in his property and dispose of it as he wishes.

Not to mention the fact that these thugs just want to be able to KNOW whos against them so they can intimidate them right out of a job and get a reliable vote in his place.

Unions that exist in the same manner as the SEIU is virtually a criminal organization granted rights over and above all reason. This is equivilent to Britians Crown giving Monopolies to rich supports back in the days of mercantilism.

Its to bad these organizations just cant roll over and die.

Mike of NY @ Jul 17, 2009 13:52:39 PM