DSA Labor Network Blog: “Talking Union”
By YDS • Mar 17th, 2008 • Category: CultureAt the November 2007 Democratic Socialists of America Convention in Atlanta, a group of DSA labor activists formed a Labor Network to revitalize DSA’s relationship to the labor movement.
We have set up a blog, “Talking Union” (http://talkingunion.wordpress.com/), as a forum for democratic socialists, labor activists and their allies to address the challenges facing the labor movement today. The blog features democratic socialist perspectives on labor issues as well as useful articles, materials and postings by others. To submit materials for the blog, send them to talkingunion@gmail.com.
We also have a Yahoo Groups discussion list. The discussion list is restricted to DSA members. To join the discussion list, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DSAlabor/ or send an e-mail to mmh@pipeline.com.
In addition, we will work to get the Employee Free Choice Act passed — this was one of the priorities adopted at the Atlanta Convention — including producing literature relating the fight to rebuild the labor movement to other struggles by the progressive community. We also plan to inform socialists and progressives about international labor solidarity, and the need to renegotiate NAFTA and similar free-trade deals.
DSA members are invited to join the DSA Labor Network by signing on to the DSAlabor list and contributing to the blog.
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YDS is YDS@DSAUSA.org
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The so-called “Employee Free Choice Act” is a terrible idea. Here’s why. Currently, the National Labor Relations Board allows employees to use a secret, confidential ballot to determine whether they want union representation. This is to ensure the election is free of employer and union coercion. However, with the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act”, employees would face a system subject to intimidation and abuse. In a “card check” campaign union officials start by gathering authorization cards signed by workers expressing their desire for the union to represent them. But these “card checks” require employees to cast their votes in front of union organizers and fellow employees who support unionization. This provides a less accurate reflection of what employees actually want than does a secret ballot election. Where is the fairness in that? There is no dispute that ALL workers, in every industry, deserve the fundamental American right to a federally supervised private-ballot election. The legislation was stopped in Congress because Senators reflected on how they were elected to office by the private ballot process and voted to support every worker’s right to enjoy the same privilege in workplace elections.
While the NLRB election process is supposed to protect workers from intimidation, it actually gives bosses an opportunity to bully workers and mount sophisticated, anti-union misinformation campaigns. There exists a whole industry of union-busting consultants devoted to spooking employees in the lead-up to an NLRB process.
Also, I feel card check is preferable since NLRB elections take place in the workplace itself, where the boss…is boss, and the threat of retaliation hangs in the air.
So, wx insider, are you in favor of a process that facilitates union elections free from fear, intimidation, and misinformation? You almost seem to be implying that the current NLRB is acceptable, which it is not.It’s currently heavily stacked in favor of corporations and against workers. This is just one of many reasons why electing a Democrat in November is paramount. Without doing so, we’re doomed to an NLRB that is completely indifferent to the actual interests of workers.Adrian pretty much hit the nail on the head. I think the first critique posted has SOME validity, but it ignores the fact that corporations patently violate any sort of sense of fairness.