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Will ‘card check’ work?

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Re “The flaw in ‘card check,’ ” editorial, March 29

Your proposal for a secret ballot for employees would be fine in an ideal world. In the real world, however, the forces of intimidation available to employers are too strong to make fairness possible. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 removed the “countervailing power” required to offset the control of corporations over workers. That law flattened unions in this country and flattened manufacturing.

There is no more urgent need than to put money in the pockets of workers by strengthening unions. The “card check” law is a first step in that direction.

William DuBay

Costa Mesa

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Having been on the employer side of an organizing drive, I know all too well how heavily favored unions are. Your article fails to point out that many union officials are in it for the employee dues. Recent articles detailing the corrupt dealings of local SEIU leadership reflect common practice.

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If you really wanted to have a fair situation, employees going to work for a business should have the right to work without having to join a union. Let businesses be open shops. This would encourage both management and unions to do their best to compete for the loyalty of the employees.

Russ Cox

Orange

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Your editorial, while thoughtful, contained a fundamental flaw. The Employee Free Choice Act guarantees employees’ rights to decide whether and how to organize a union, either through majority sign-up or a National Labor Relations Board election. While both methods already exist, current law allows CEOs to veto the employees’ choice.

Removing the CEO veto would give workers real choices. An employee could sign a card for majority sign-up. When a majority had signed, these cards could trigger certification, avoiding today’s divisive, corporate-dominated election process. Alternatively, the employee could sign a card conditioned on having an election. Or the employee could choose not to sign any card.

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Your page rightly advocates restoring balance in the law for workers. This legislation does that by ensuring free choice for employees.

Rep. George Miller

(D-Martinez)

Washington

The writer is the lead House sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act.

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