NEBRASKA EVENT PART OF NATIONWIDE EFFORT AGAINST EMPLOYEE FORCED CHOICE ACT
Local Leaders Stand Up For Worker Rights & Small Businesses By Opposing Job-Killing Legislation
Omaha, Nebraska Today, local leaders came together to send a message to union groups and their benefactors on Capitol Hill, that the Employee Forced Choice Act or EFCA would result in massive job loss and eliminate worker rights. The event in La Vista, Nebraska was part of a nationwide effort conducted by the Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI) to send a message to Members of Congress, particularly U.S. Senators.
Local leaders communicated that EFCA violates the right of workers to have a voice in contract negotiations, will harm small businesses, and a vote for cloture is a vote in favor of this job-killing legislation, whether its the bill as introduced or any so-called compromise. Events took place in Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Louisiana, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
The Employee Forced Choice Act is legislation that eliminates the secret ballot by imposing a public card check process for workplace union elections and empowers government bureaucrats to force arbitration on workers and small businesses without their consent. The result, according to a recent economic study, would be that for every three percentage points gained in union membership through card check, the U.S. would see a one percentage point increase in unemployment, and job creation would fall by around 1.5 million jobs.
Unions stand to gain the most should EFCA become law, a recent WFI study shows Big Labor would gain upwards of $35 billion over 10 years with at least $1.7 billion for political activity to reward supporters and punish opponents.
Speaking on behalf of Nebraskans for Workers Rights, State Senator Scott Price of Bellevue said, We got involved because of the loss of a workers right to a private ballot in union elections and the binding arbitration clause that would allow federally appointed referees to dictate pay and benefits between Nebraska companies and their employees. Both of these provisions destroy workers rights, drive employers and employees apart and enables the federal government even more involvement in private business in unproductive ways.
Citing the anti-business nature of EFCA, Jim Otto, President of the Nebraska Retail Federation said, This is not a partisan issue. Business owners of all political views will be adversely affected by this legislation. Otto stated If EFCA is passed, Nebraska could lose 35,000 jobs in the first year and thousands more in years to come. This is just not acceptable during these tough economic times when unemployment is at record highs nationally and Nebraska businesses are struggling to survive.
Former Nebraska Insurance Commissioner and long time Democrat, Frank Barrett called upon his friend Senator Ben Nelson to continue his opposition to EFCA. Barrett said, "I support Sen. Ben Nelson in his opposition to certain provisions of the Employee Free Choice Act. The secret ballot in union elections is the best guarantor that employees will make an informed choice about unionization without undue pressure from either overzealous union supporters or unscrupulous employers. Democracy, whether in political elections or union elections is premised on an informed and free voter. The Employee Free Choice Act is inappropriately named as it it will lead, not to free choice but coerced choice by its card check feature. Moreover, the provisions requiring binding interest arbitration takes bargaining out of the hands of the parties, where it belongs. Instead it places the obligation for drafting a union contract it in an unaccountable and unpredictable arbitrator. Employees and employers will be left to deal with the unintended consequences of such a collective bargaining system. This Act is bad for workers and business alike."
Also participating in the event was Ken Sharpe, Owner of Auntie Annes. Sharpe is an example of a local business that could be negatively impacted if the Employee Free Choice Act was passed. The binding arbitration provision within the Employee Free Choice act will have specific catastrophic events within my business. While we operate on such a small margin, we may not be able to absorb any additional [labor] costs the passage of this bill may impose. Sharpe plead, We encourage all legislators to work together to defeat this legislation and therefore not impose any organized labor unions on any small businesses without specific representation from the employees themselves.
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