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| September 23rd, 2008 |
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Media Contact(s): Mark Eddington or Heather Barney, 202-224-5251 |
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Printable Version |
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HATCH: EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT WILL LEAD TO FORCED UNIONIZATION
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WASHINGTON – Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today joined Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) and business leaders to warn about pending legislation that would strip 140 million American workers of their right to secret-ballot elections.
Speaking about the Employee Free Choice Act, Hatch called the Democratic bill a vehicle to put American workers on the road to forced unionization. Utahn Scott Parson, president and CEO of Ogden-based Staker-Parson Companies, also spoke against the legislation.
The bill would replace the secret ballot with a Card Check, which empowers unions to organize workers by getting a simple majority of employees sign a card. It opens the door to intimidation or coercion of employees who do not want to unionize, the senators said.
“This a power grab by the Democrats and labor unions to unionize American workers against their will,” Hatch said. “These union organizers will keep coming back until you sign the card. Some people just sign the card to get rid of them.”
Even worse, Hatch added, the bill would empower federal government-appointed arbitrators to set wages, pension and health care benefits, work hours and other terms if, after only 90 days of bargaining, management and the union could not agree on terms of a contract. The arbitrator would have unchecked power to impose a two-year binding contract, one that would not even allow the employees to ratify it or approve its terms.
“This is one of the most heinous pieces of legislation in history,” Hatch said, adding the nation’s business owners and workers do not need federal arbitrators making their decisions for them.
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