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March 4, 2009

Specter under microscope | Should not support ‘card-check’ bill

Anonymous The Tribune-Democrat Wed Mar 04, 2009, 10:20 AM EST

Sen. Arlen Specter could hold the key vote if the “Employee Free Choice Act” goes before the U.S. Senate later this year.

We say his vote should be against the Act, or Pennsylvanians should use their votes in 2010 to get Specter out of Congress.

This is a critical issue – especially with the national economy tumbling through a recession.

Known as the “card-check” bill, the “Employee Free Choice Act” – if passed – would eliminate the practice of secret ballots for employees at companies where unionization is in the works. Currently, workers can cast secret ballots concerning whether they wish to unionize.

A similar effort in 2007 passed the House but failed in the Senate – with votes falling predominantly along party lines, Democrats for and Republicans against the Act.

In a weekend story from The Associated Press, Specter said the card-check movement is the hot topic on Capitol Hill, and the senator is in meetings almost daily about it. He did not divulge which way he is leaning, although conservatives fear Specter will follow his breaking of ranks to support the economic stimulus plan with another such move concerning the card-check proposal.

We don’t think Specter should oppose the card-check concept merely because that’s what his fellow Republicans want.

We think he should oppose it because it’s the right thing to do.

Secret ballots are among the cornerstones of our American society. We get to participate in the making of important decisions without the threat of coercion.

Under a card-check system, unionization could be approved simply with a majority of employees signing cards supporting it. With such a setup, an employee might face pressure from either the company’s management or the union leadership about which way to vote, and could face repercussions afterward depending on which way the vote was cast – since both sides would know who voted for and who voted against unionization.

Specter and others on the card-check bubble may be feeling pressure from union lobbyists who say that making such efforts easier would help balance a weak economy that is shedding jobs.

However, the more likely result is that broader unionization could force some small businesses out of the marketplace, and would force large companies – especially retailers – to reduce their employment numbers to offset added costs.

Regardless, here’s something Specter should really take notice of: Union workers don’t support the idea of getting rid of secret ballots.

In a 2004 Zogby International poll of union workers, more than two-thirds of the participants said they thought the private vote option is fair, and nearly 80 percent said they would not want to replace the current system with one that divulges how individuals vote.

Specter said “my arm’s not twistable” when asked how he will react to pressure concerning the “Employee Free Choice Act.” That could mean he won’t bow to pressure from labor unions or he won’t fall in step with his own party.

We appreciate Specter’s willingness to vote his own conscience. That’s a rare gift in today’s political arena.

And we expect that when the senator takes a long hard look at this Act, his conscience will tell him that voting against card checks is the right decision – for workers, for companies and for the country.

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