Discuss this op-ed

As a former member of the SEIU, I think card check will be used to take away employee free choice. I've seen union thugs get in peoples faces (including my own)dissenters cars get vandalized and other cheap and corrupt practices. The unions stink. If Obama want s to revive this economy, turning the US into a copy of britain of the 50s and 60s, crippled by constant labor disputes and violence will not get the job done. The people need real free choice, protect the secret ballot and tell the lying unions to stuff their card check plans up their own big fat ballot boxes.

Kevin C @ 4:26 PM PST, Dec 19, 2008

Hilda Solis is just what this country needs as the nominated Secretary of Labor. Her background, experience, education and political skills are what is needed during these troubled times of economic distress. Time to bring the jobs back to America and Ms Solis is the person who can stem the tide between corporate welfare/corporate greed and making America once again the capital of manufacturing by rebuilding the experience and marketability of our products with a well trained workforce.

Robert Gorham @ 2:46 PM PST, Dec 19, 2008

Well, Barak Hussein Muhammed Obama said he was going to try and Nationalize the Unions, HUMBUG, shrt for B.S. Well, I was wondering what this Fine Looking Lady had to do to get this HighPowered Job, Washington Politics as Usual. Many a Lady has ruined their lives by submitting themselves to the Wims of their Masters. She was better off staying Out of Washington, Of course She, Michelle and Obama will make a good Trio. MERRY CHRISTMAS

Billy Mills @ 2:40 PM PST, Dec 19, 2008

If ever American companies needed a reason to move jobs abroad, Solis is it.

Tupac Goldstein @ 12:00 PM PST, Dec 19, 2008

BTW, since 'The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire' gets mentioned in, oh, about 90% of editorials about labor, and in 100% of those mentions we hear about how the victims were immigrant 'Italian and Jewish' women and girls, let's get the complete story on the record. The Triangle company was owned ... by Jewish immigrants from Russia, Isaac Harris and Max Blanck. WASPs or Yankees weren't at fault for that fire or the exploitation of those workers, immigrants were! Not unlike the situation in today's 'garment industry'.

Mitchell Young @ 11:37 AM PST, Dec 19, 2008

Mr. Bergman must be smoking puppy chow. EFCA will kill jobs if enacted as written. If you think corporations are going to keep capital in the US when the federal government is forcing contracts with terms and conditions on them, you're hallucinating. Take it from an old union man whose job was outsourced pre-NAFTA, you have no clue what builds the middle class--it's not unions, it's companies that create jobs, moron.

Ragnar @ 11:24 AM PST, Dec 19, 2008

Unions exist for people who can't hold a job on their own. They have destroyed the Automakers and Public Schools. Apparently even this Newpaper.

S. Rennie @ 10:54 AM PST, Dec 19, 2008

Back in the 80's, I worked a Union Job, and all the things that they spent My Hard Earned Dollars, which were Blackmailed From Me, had next to No Benefit Towards Me. About the Only Thing I saw the Union Bosses do other then Enrich themselves was Protect a Bunch of No Good, Lay About Who Thought that Unless Sweat was part of the Contract, they didn't have to Produce Any.

David Molinero @ 10:52 AM PST, Dec 19, 2008

There is a misconception about the Employee Free Choice Act. It does not take away the secret ballot. It does prevent the corporation and the union from demanding a secret ballot election. However, if the people dedicing to go union want a secret ballot election then they will have one. What it does is put the power into the workers hands to decide. This will also help stop some of the corporate abuses during elections and believe me the corporations are willing to spend millions to hire union busters and intimidate, coerce, and abuse pro-union supporters. The corporate abuses go a lot deeper than most people realize. It is horrific.

cliff @ 10:25 AM PST, Dec 19, 2008

The Employee Free Choice Act will save and strenghten the middle class and curb some of the corporate greed that is destroying our country. The Employee Free Choice act is the main specific reason several millions of us voted for Obama. The unions are the last defense for the middle class against the corporate greed. If people can't make at least a living wage then the economy will never recover and as a result we would become a third world country.

cliff @ 10:16 AM PST, Dec 19, 2008

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