Comments on: Like Asking for a Show of Hands

By: Lawrence Framme

Lawrence Framme — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:06:48 +0000

My article was intended to let anyone, proponents or opponents of the EFCA, take shots at it and its conclusions. I am pleased that many have done so. I was surprised, however, to see an an attorney with Mr. Morse’s qualifications misrepresent portions of my article in his response to it.

First, nowhere in my article do I claim to be either in favor of or opposed to the EFCA. The article merely reports my views of its effects on Virginia business. Second, Mr. Morse says that I claim in my article that EFCA “merely levels the playing field between employees and employers in campaigns to organize a workforce”. Again, he misrepresents my article. I simply report in the article that “proponents” of the EFCA claim that it “levels the playing field”, just as I reported that Sen. McCain calls EFCA a “threat to business and democracy.” Third, Mr. Morse says that “Framme follows the union party line in trying to portray EFCA as simply a means of allowing unions to target big employers while largely leaving small and medium sized employers alone” He again misrepresents what I wrote. I merely reported my conclusion that unions would attempt to organize large employers first. I may be wrong, but I do not follow the “party line” of a union or anyone else. Finally, Mr. Morse says that I “carefully rehearsed” the article. I have no idea what that means, but whatever it means, it is as inaccurate as the other three misrepresentations noted above.

Thank you.
Larry Framme

By: Richmond Jobs with Justice

Richmond Jobs with Justice — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:45:09 +0000

Once again, this piece of legislation takes away the power of the employer to choose and gives that to the employee–hence the name “Employee Free Choice”. It does not take away the right to secret ballot and the proposed legislation wouldn’t change that right. The only difference regarding union selection between current law and the law if the Free Choice Act passes is that it would give the power to the workers, where it should belong.

Find out more at http://richmondjwj.org/freechoice. Here you can read the actual Act itself and other documents that explain fully the FACTS surrounding this crucial piece of legislation.

Pass the Employee Free Choice Act now because workers in Virginia need sustainable employment now more than ever!

By: Bill Weirich

Bill Weirich — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:41:06 +0000

I agree with the views expressed by Clinton Morse. Proponents of this legislation have cleverly titled the bill “Employee Free Choice”, and any legislation that takes away the right to a private ballot/vote is anything but “free choice”. This is nothing more than unions attempting to tip the balance in their favor with a bill that is clearly mislabeled and misleading.

By: EFCANOW

EFCANOW — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:48:50 +0000

This article has so many inaccuracies it’s hard to know where to start. First off, it seems best to refute the common, yet completely untrue, assertion that the Employee Free Choice Act takes away the secret ballot option for workers. It doesn’t. The Employee Free Choice Act allows workers, not companies, the choice of how they want to form their union: through majority sign up or a NLRB election.

The author relies on scare tactics in order to make his argument. But the thing people should be afraid of is the fact that the middle class is vanishing. This is going on while CEOs continue to pad their pockets with billions in bonuses. I think most people realize that a strong economy is one that works for everyone.

The Employee Free Choice Act gives workers a chance to bargain collectively for the wages and benefits they deserve, plain and simple. In Virginia, as Framme’s original article notes, workers have to want to belong to a union. If they are being treated well, have safe working conditions and are compensated fairly they’ll have little reason to form a union. But if they aren’t, it’s in all of our best interests that they use their right to organize in order to get a seat at the table and a voice in their workplace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlbfpzC_-I0

By: Richmond Jobs with Justice

Richmond Jobs with Justice — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:19:48 +0000

With the background of training and education that the author of this article has, it’s surprising that some key parts have been left out of this article. For instance, the amount of intimidation that employees face from employers is very real. In fact, there are many law firms in Virginia and in the US that employers bring in as “consultants” on organizing campaigns to hold meetings to bash the union. Employers require employees to attend these meetings since they are conducted during paid time. The reference to employees being “forced” to sign union cards is completely inaccurate for a lot of reasons mainly but in particular the reference that they “force” the employees to sign them in secret is absurd. Workers sign these cards in secret for fear of their employer finding out and then terminating the workers as a result. Of course that’s not the reason the company uses to terminate but most typically will sever ties with union activists ASAP.

Small businesses are actually hard to organize because usually most small businesses don’t have high-paid CEOs and an inflexible structure that results in inequitable treatment of workers at the lower level. As a result, most workers at small businesses usually don’t want or feel that they need union representation. There are cases, in recent months, where small business owners in Virginia have WANTED union representation for their shop as is evident in a CWA represented sign company in Fredericksburg.

It’s time to focus on sustainable employment in Virginia–we can’t claim we are business friendly anymore when so many Companies that were brought here in the last 15 years and were based here are now closing (Circuit City, LandAmerica, Qimonda, etc). And what’s wrong with being WORKER and BUSINESS friendly anyway? Because you can’t have success with one, without the other.

Pass the Employee Free Choice Act now! http://richmondjwj.org/freechoice

By: John Huennekens

John Huennekens — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:43:30 +0000

I don’t see why the Employee Free Choice Act is such a big issue. Signing cards is like a glorified petition campaign. The supposed threat of intimidation by labor organizers is nothing compared to the history of intimidation by management willing to go to great lengths to keep their workers from organizing. So the intimidation potential goes both ways.
The way the system is set up now, a union can’t be established unless it’s elected twice – first by the petition (card) campaign, and then in the follow up election. This double election process merely extends the length of time that intimidation could occur. And even if the majority of workers in a company join a union, Virginia’s a right-to-work state and nobody has to pay union dues and join unless they want to. That’s why Virginia has low rates of union membership. And that’s why the Employee Free Choice Act isn’t a big concern, because it’s not going to have much of an effect in Virginia.

By: djaymick

djaymick — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:51:08 +0000

When I read the Constitution, it guarantees life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I can’t find the Article that says the rich should carry the poor. I grew up in Delaware, the same state that our VP is from, moved to PA, but still work in DE. Our society allows us to the opportunity to become our own bosses. In Delaware, which has the best business law in the country, it costs about $200 to incorporate ($89 for a Certificate of Incorporation, the EIN application is free, $75 for a DE business license (prorated to the time of year you incorporate) and $50 to open a bank account.)
Why aren’t we looking at this area? Colleges are starting to open up their IP domains. Business are downsizing which could lead to micro-businesses that service the company that once employed them (it happens at DuPont often).
Plus, how will the EFCA effect education? If you are a student in high school and are looking to “pave your future”, the new choices will be either college or a “living wage” at McDonalds/WalMart. How many people will be lured by a great wage, full benefits, pension and disability? What advantage will a college education get you?