Guest essay: Free Choice Act restores balance to the process

ROBERT KIRKNER must love the MESSIAH

Oh bull!

Robert is a shill. Former Senator McGovern is AGAINST this effort by the unions. McGovern is a Democrat...a real Democrat...not a Socialist Liberal Obama worshiper. McGovern says the Free Choice Act is not democratic. The secret ballot must be preserved he says otherwise workers will be intimidated by union thugs.

There are companies in our immediate area that have made the decision that they will close if this passes. They would rather (and in most cases may have to) close than deal with this "act".

Won't that be a great help to the workers!

anon wrote:

There are companies in our immediate area that have made the decision that they will close if this passes. They would rather (and in most cases may have to) close than deal with this "act".
Won't that be a great help to the workers!

Typical fear mongering from the right!

Have you ever noticed how often the P-O accepts guest essays from liberals? And, how infrequently they accept them from conservatives?

On top of that, we have to tolerate the ill-informed opinions of Matthew Major.

It's a shame this rag is the only newspaper in our area.

Jack wrote:

<quoted text>
Typical fear mongering from the right!

It is the unvarnished truth. Felt compelled to throw out something to undermine the truth, Jack? Won't work because the vast majority of Americans realize what giviung up the secret ballot means. You, Jack, are in the minority along with the union goons like those who have damaged the American auto industry.

As Americans we better watch every act and new law that is being passed. Not everything is going to be for the greater good.Before you know it they are taking away more rights. It starts slowly and now is the time it would be easily masked.Just sayin.

Susan wrote:

<quoted text>It is the unvarnished truth. Felt compelled to throw out something to undermine the truth, Jack? Won't work because the vast majority of Americans realize what giviung up the secret ballot means. You, Jack, are in the minority along with the union goons like those who have damaged the American auto industry.

Thanks for more misinformation. The employees are not giving up the secrete ballot, they, not the company, have a choice weather or not to have a secrete ballot. Thanks for pretending as if you know what your talking about.

In 2008, union members accounted for 12.4 percent of employed wage and salary workers, up from 12.1 percent a year earlier. The number of workers belonging to a union rose by 428,000 to 16.1 million.

Just Sayin wrote:

As Americans we better watch every act and new law that is being passed. Not everything is going to be for the greater good.Before you know it they are taking away more rights. It starts slowly and now is the time it would be easily masked.Just sayin.

You mean like warrant-less wiretaps?

Most employees benefited by this will be the ones that want a job but don't want to work. I used to ask fellow employees in another district, that is union, who they thought they worked for and they always replied IBEW.. Hmm. That type of attitude isn't needed in this area now or ever.

Jack wrote:

<quoted text>
Thanks for more misinformation. The employees are not giving up the secrete ballot, they, not the company, have a choice weather or not to have a secrete ballot. Thanks for pretending as if you know what your talking about.
In 2008, union members accounted for 12.4 percent of employed wage and salary workers, up from 12.1 percent a year earlier. The number of workers belonging to a union rose by 428,000 to 16.1 million.

Propaganda. Did an union mail talking points to you, Jack? Are you a member of a local in Franklin County? As a flak you are not convincing.

anon wrote:

There are companies in our immediate area that have made the decision that they will close if this passes. They would rather (and in most cases may have to) close than deal with this "act".
Won't that be a great help to the workers!

You can call this by whatever name you wish,,,,fearmongering, the right wing, whatever,,,,,but it is a fact no matter what spin you put on it. There are companies that will close and some of it will be right here in our community. Companies that are currently paying a fair wage and providing much needed benefits. How can closing down more jobs be better for the workers?

The truth is that companies who treat their employees like assets instead of expenditures will not go union.

So Hilda, what do you consider a fair wage?$7 /Hr?$12 Hr $15/Hr

If this company is paying a "living" wage & good benefits, why would it go union?

If there's a company paying minimum wages & avoiding paying benefis thru all part time work then perhaps they might as well send an invitation to the union organizers to visit their employees.

This idea that companies can't compete with third world countries unless they treat their employees like companies third works countries is insane. Yet this is what the PA Chamber of Commerce preaches. This is what is implied in these threatened busniness closings.

There are aspects I do not like. If the would enforce current law, I don't think this would be necessary.

Americans always had the secret ballot !

It's very suspicious when anyone wants to take that away!

What purpose would that serve? Intimidation // harassment // retaliation is the only possible answer.

Unions have their place but so does the secret ballot!!

Thank you Obama for the highly anticipated union card check law ----

BTW -- why are your allies in the union afraid of a secret ballot?

Secret ballots ensures the voter is free from coercion and retaliation.

You have a prolem with that ?

More and more similarities between the new regime in Washington and 1930s-1940s Germany. Tbe National Socialist Democrat Party also had a demagogue leader who was a spellbinding orator. Herr Hitler, of course, did not use a teleprompter.

LIL John wrote:

Americans always had the secret ballot !
It's very suspicious when anyone wants to take that away!
What purpose would that serve? Intimidation // harassment // retaliation is the only possible answer.
Unions have their place but so does the secret ballot!!

There you go being disingenuous again, the right of the worker for a secrete ballot will still be there if they so chose.

National Labor Relations Board will certify a union as the exclusive representative of bargaining unit employees by card check process or secret ballot election, which is held if more than 30% of employees in a bargaining unit sign statements asking for representation by a union.

LIL John wrote:

Secret ballots ensures the voter is free from coercion and retaliation.
You have a prolem with that ?

Because they are not free from coercion and retaliation from the company!

Jack wrote:

<quoted text>
There you go being disingenuous again, the right of the worker for a secrete ballot will still be there if they so chose.
National Labor Relations Board will certify a union as the exclusive representative of bargaining unit employees by card check process or secret ballot election, which is held if more than 30% of employees in a bargaining unit sign statements asking for representation by a union.

What's the problem with a secret ballot -- are you afraid that you won't get to bully a worker to vote your way?