Feds threaten to sue states over union laws

[The Northerner]

WASHINGTON – The National Labor Relations Board on Friday threatened to sue Arizona, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah over constitutional amendments guaranteeing workers the right to a secret ballot in union elections.

The agency's acting general counsel, Lafe Solomon, said the amendments conflict with federal law, which gives employers the option of recognizing a union if a majority of workers sign cards that support unionizing.

The amendments, approved on Nov. 2, have taken effect in South Dakota and Utah, and will do so soon in Arizona and South Carolina.

Business and anti-union groups sought the amendments, arguing that such secrecy is necessary to protect workers against union intimidation. They are concerned that Congress might enact legislation requiring employers to allow the "card check" process for forming unions instead of secret ballot elections.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110114/ap_on_re_us/us_unions_secret_ballots

[DCKit]

1. (R) - corporate vs. (R) - states rights nt

[demosincebirth]

2. Thats great news. Federal labor laws alway supersede state law

[blondeatlast]

3. Excellent news. k/r nt

[justiceischeap]

4. I'm not as educated about unions as I should be but I thought the secret ballot

was a good thing, so people who wanted to JOIN the union could have their say secretly without fearing the loss of their jobs if the union didn't get formed.

Am I wrong in that?

[Vincardog]

5. The SECRET BALLOT requires an election. Card check does not

the election facilitates meetings and 'information sharing' about the harms of unions and the company would really prefer that you not start their shit here.
get it?

[iamtechus]

6. Not in this case

Setting up and holding a secret ballot election takes a month or more. That gives the employers lots of time to harrass, threaten and intimidate workers. Time and again, more than 50% of workers sign petitions to have union representation only to have the workers scared into voting against it during that wait before the election.

[justiceischeap]

7. Thank you for explaining that. Makes sense. (eom)