Organized labor is rapidly moving forward on a number of fronts to take advantage of Democratically controlled legislatures. On the national front, we see the heavy-handed union lobbying to pass the so-called Employee Free Choice Act. Now in Connecticut, for example, the legislature, urged on by organized labor, is considering what is called a Captive Audience bill that would prevent employers from communicating with their employees about political matters, regardless of whether those political matters might affect the workplace, pensions, and benefits. Indeed, almost any topic can be called political.
The effect, of course, will be to muzzle employers, so that they will be extremely limited in what they can say. If they violate the law, they would be subject to sanctions.
The state seems to be intent on obviating federal law that not only guarantees free speech, but that also calls for a balance between employers and union organizers when communicating with workers. This is just another example of the pro-union forces attempting to do an end-run around the National Labor Relations Act
To further hamper corporations in the state, the Connecticut attorney believes that National Labor Relations Board, which administers the NLRA, has been wrong and that the state can regulate “captive audience” staff meetings.
If Corporate America does not organize its own pro-active campaign to defeat one-sided legislation, it will find its freedom to do business severely curtailed.
