Employee Free Choice Act violates workers' rights

TO THE EDITOR:

U.S. labor laws are grounded in the principle that workers should have the freedom to decide whether or not to bargain collectively with their employers.

Unfortunately" the misleadingly named Employee Free Choice Act would strip workers of these fundamental rights and leave them more vulnerable to pressure.

The proposed bill is fundamentally anti-worker and would negatively affect the workplace. It deprives workers of the fundamental right to hold a secret ballot election in order to determine union representation.

This bill could replace the privacy of election booths with very public ""card check recognition"" process"" whereby employees are forced to make their choice for or against a union in front of coworkers or union organizers.

This ""card check"" process will encourage coercion and intimidation in the organizing process.

Moreover" this legislation contains a provision that stipulates mandatory arbitration on both the employer and the employee as a part of the collective bargaining process.

The misguided language has a third party government official making binding labor contract decisions for both parties. As a result the business owner has little voice on how his business operates and the newly unionized employees would not be provided with the opportunity to vote on the new contract.

Quite obviously the Employee Free Choice Act is flawed and must be opposed.



John Eick

Sophomore

Political science public policy