DENVER (September 22, 2010) – Saying that the measure represents a blatantly political move that would undo decades of majority rule in union organizing, the Coalition for Colorado Jobs (CCJ) today urged Senator Michael Bennet to support legislation that would preserve majority rule, prevent forced unionization and protect the rights of individual workers.
“Washington bureaucrats are trying every route they can find to put a system of forced unionization into place, with the latest being an anti-democratic move by the National Mediation Board repealing the basic right to majority rule when a union is being organized,” said Sandra Hagen Solin, state director for the Coalition for Colorado Jobs (CCJ). “If they have their way, only a majority of those voting – not a majority of the workforce – could permanently force a union on the entire workplace. We urge Senator Bennet to oppose this unprecedented union power grab that will upend 75 years of precedent, and two Supreme Court decisions.”
Senate Joint Resolution 30, to be voted on this week, would undo a rule change proposed by the National Mediation Board (NMB) that repeals “majority rule,” which requires that a majority of the entire bargaining unit must vote to organize a union. Under the NMB rule change, only a majority of those voting would be needed to organize the union.
In addition, under the rule change, employees would not be able to vote out a union under the same process, even if a majority is unhappy with its union leadership. Proponents of the change to “majority rule” have not explained exactly what existing problems the new rules would solve since two-thirds of the 1,850 reported elections since 1935 have resulted in union representation.
Bennet continues to refuse to state his position on the Employee “Forced” Choice Act (EFCA), which contains a card-check provision, and a vote against S.J. Res 30 would be a vote for the government bureaucracy to impose a version of EFCA on the airline and railroad industries. Bennet has already voted for labor radical Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) who has asserted that EFCA could be put into place through administrative action bypassing the Congress.
“This rule change is yet another step forward for Big Labor, and a step back for job creation and economic recovery,” Solin said. “The Senate, this week, can stand up for simple fairness in the workplace and the rights of workers not to be forced into a union by a minority of their co-workers. We urge Senator Bennet to step up for fairness and Colorado small businesses that create the jobs in our state.”
