Bus drivers in Fort Worth, Texas, may file a grievance against their union, the Teamsters Local 997, after a five-day strike resulted in a contract with no new benefits! The grievance would, of course, be filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
With that kind of union accomplishment, one can only wonder why the bus drivers and many others would want to belong to a union? Could not the bus drivers have negotiated on their own? The downside would have been no worse than the outcome of their strike, and they would not have lost five days of pay.
For years, union membership has been steadily declining and what has occurred in Fort Worth is simply another reason why unions have become not only superfluous, but also destructive to the welfare of many working people.
Now that the Democrats control both houses of Congress, it is a sure bet that their union allies, who helped get out the vote for them, will come calling to collect on their debt. And the payment that they will want is abolition of secret-ballot union elections.
Currently, unions must solicit workers for their signatures, asking for an election. After 30% of those workers have signed cards calling for an election, the union requests that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) supervise an election. If a majority of workers vote in favor of the union, then the union becomes their representative.
The process has been secret since the mid 1930s and is designed to prevent unfair coercion of workers. Neither union representatives nor management representatives are permitted to campaign within the polling area on the day of the election.
Unions can also organize workers using card checks. That is, if 50% of workers signs cards stating that they want to be organized, management may choose to recognize the designated union as representing its workers. There is no worker privacy under card checks, so workers can be intimidated into signing cards by pro-union workers. It is, obviously, much easier to organize workers, using card checks than it is using secret ballot elections.
Now Congress has before it the Democratically sponsored “Employee Free Choice Act” which would eliminate secret ballot elections and replace it with card checks. The number of companies that would be organized would dramatically increase.
If secret-ballot elections are good enough for politicians, then secret-ballot elections should be good enough for American workers and companies. After all, it is an integral part of our democratic heritage.
In Newton, Massachusetts, police dispatchers want to dispatch their union. They feel that their union dues have not provided a good return. In fact, they believe that their dues have been a bad investment in employee representation.
The dispatchers have filed a complaint against their union, AFSCME Local 3092, with the state Labor Relations Commission. They claim that their union leader does not attend important meetings and does not do a good job of representing the dispatcher’s interests.
How odd!
Like many other union members, the cops have found that union dues do not necessarily bring any rewards. For years, union dues have enrched many union officials who have often pursued political goals that members may not approve. It’s no wonder that so many union members feel that their unions are out of touch with their concerns and interests.
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