Organized labor is organized to vote Democratic. In fact, it is hoping for a triple win: a Democratic president, a Democratic Senate, and a Democratic House of Representatives.
To achieve that goal, according to a recent editorial in The Wall Street Journal by Kimberley Strassel, organized labor has put its money where the votes are: The AFL-CIO has set aside $53-million to fund a grass roots get-out-the-vote drive. Affiliated unions have pledged an additional $200-million. The International Service Employees Union has earmarked $100-million for advancing its political agenda. The National Education Association is putting up $40-million. In fact, when all the money has been spent, it will be about $500,000 million, if not more.
Ms. Strassel poses a question that should raise red flags amongst everyone in Corporate America: What precisely does organized labor want for its money and its votes?
First, they want Congress to do away with secret ballot elections, and let unions use so-called card checks to sign up members. It’s easy for organizers to be persuasive during card check drives, a persuasion that does not exist when secret ballots are used.
Second, they want unions to be the exclusive representatives of all fire and police personnel. One can only imagine what would happen in big cities if cops and firefighters walked off their jobs for a strike!
Third, they want Congress to declare right-to-work states illegal. In other words, every state should be a ripe target for union organizers. All those states that attracted foreign automobile manufacturers, such as Toyota and Nissan, will no longer be attractive entities for foreign manufacturers, which would leave this country and move to Asia. The loss of jobs and tax revenues would be disastrous.
And finally, the unions want to load up the National Labor Relations Board with pro-union activists, who will vote to support every union position.
The country is at a cross roads and Corporate America may face one of its biggest challenges since the advent of the New Deal.
