Senator’s stance on act pressed by businessmen
Posted on Saturday, November 22, 2008
U. S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln wanted business leaders Friday to focus on what she called the nation’s “biggest challenges” — righting a listing national economy and revamping health care — instead of legislation that would make it easier for workers to join a union.
But those business leaders had other ideas, peppering the state’s senior senator with their questions about why Lincoln, a Democrat up for re-election in 2010, noted toward the end of her speech that she still hadn’t made her mind up on the proposed Employee Free Choice Act.
“I know it’s a big concern among the business community, and I know it’s a big concern among the labor community,” Lincoln said during her speech before the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. “I hope what we don’t do is to allow that discussion to become a distraction to the very critical issues that are facing this country right now.”
The legislation would allow workers to sign a card supporting unionizing a workplace instead of current law requiring a secret-ballot election. Both sides agree it would make it easier for unions to form: Businessmen say union leaders would pressure workers to sign the cards; unions say the current system allows businesses to intimidate workers who want to join a union.
Wal-Mart and many other businesses oppose the act. Union leaders have said it is the top priority in the next Congress. President-elect Barack Obama was one of the bill’s 47 Senate co-sponsors.
At the chamber meeting at the Crowne Plaza in West Little Rock, AFCO Steel vice-president Deane Wallace vigorously shook his head from side to side while Lincoln spoke of her desire to continue to listen to both sides before making “a final decision” on the proposed act.
Before Lincoln finished her remarks, Wallace shot his hand up to ask the first question.
“How can there just be any question at all about giving an individual a right to a secret ballot ?” he asked.
Lincoln said she’s always supported “the right of workers to collectively come together,” but noted that the secret ballot has “always worked very well.”
Bob Shell, president of Baldwin and Shell Construction Co., stood up and said “when you talk about workers, that’s one thing. When you talk about union bosses, that’s another.”
Shell said that Arkansas is known as a right-to-work state that’s friendly to business. He said union leaders would intimidate workers into signing the cards authorizing a union.
“Ninety-five percent of [Arkansan workers ] are non-union. Seems to me that you’ve got the direction to go,” Shell told Lincoln. “Our state is nonunion and wants to stay that way.”
Alan Hughes, president of the Arkansas AFL-CIO, was also at the breakfast meeting. He said in a later interview that the antiunion comments were “part of an organizing campaign” to bash unions.
“People ought to have a right to choose a union,” he said. “Right now, after the cards are signed, the company can delay the election, intimidate employees, get some for insubordination and fire a few to scare everybody.”
Arkansas has about 62, 000 union members, about 5. 4 percent of the state’s work force, according to the AFL-CIO.
In Arkansas, U. S. Reps. Mike Ross, Vic Snyder and Marion Berry, all Democrats, have cosponsored the House bill.
U. S. Rep. John Boozman, the state’s only Republican in Congress, opposes the bill.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
