Catawba Chamber To Lead Rally Against Union Boogeyman

With the usual, predictable messages that we've come to expect, the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce is holding a rally next month to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act. Read the story in the Hickory Daily Record here - http://www.hickoryrecord.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=HDR/MGArticle/HD...

The usual cast of characters you'd expect are going to attend including Dole, McHenry and three other GOP members of Congress. They're going to attack the union boogeyman and then do an incredulous acting job that they are merely trying to protect workers.

For those who don't know - union representation in the US is actually decided by a process that is quite cumbersome and is routinely exploited by management. If the workers at Joe's Widget Plant want a union, the first step is to file signed cards calling for a union election. Then, the National Labor Relations Board sets a date and a secret ballot election is held. If the majority votes for the union, Joe's Widget must recognize the union as the collective bargaining representative and begin negotiations on a legally binding union contract.

Though it happens infrequently, there are some employers who aren't so anti-union and decide to save the taxpayers money by agreeing to bargain with the union once a majority of cards are signed calling for the election. This process is called card check. The Employee Free Choice Act would make card check the law of the land. It has passed both the House and Senate - but not with a filibuster or veto proof majority for final passage.

In come Dole, McHenry and their friends in the Chamber of Commerce, expressing outrage that the unions want to do away with the sacrosanct secret ballot election.

What they're not telling you is that the secret ballot election process is already broken. There is a cottage legal industry devoted to helping companies "win" union elections. Their methods use legal loopholes and some methods that are downright illegal to intimidate workers from voting for union representation. In the time between when the cards are filed and the election is held, management pulls out all the stops with threats and fear-mongering of what will happen if Joe's Widget Plant goes union.

If labor law is broken, who cares? By the time the union appeals the election, many months if not years have passed and the workers' spirit is broken. THIS is why union membership is at an all-time low in the private sector.

Regardless of whether you agree with the Employee Free Choice Act or not, there's a larger political question of - why hold this rally in Catawba County?

Let's be honest - none of these cats could give a rat's ass what an hourly worker in Catawba County makes. This rally isn't about the Employee Free Choice Act, it's about somehow rallying a base that isn't too excited about their ticket. Cranking up the fear of the good old union boogeyman is usually good for that.

My guess is that it's because Patrick McHenry is in trouble. He just had to loan himself $175k for the campaign. And if they can smoke out Daniel Johnson and paint him as a friend of unions - then that helps the ailing campaign.

Hopefully, voters in the 10th District will see through the ploy.