February 5, 2007

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Those Unguarded Moments Of Truth

Filed under: Labor by Leo Casey @ 1:18 pm

We are not sure who to thank for the following moment of revelation, Freud or some higher authority, but it does provide a most interesting insight into the ongoing controversy over labor rights and card check unionization. [You wouldn't read about it in Antonucci's anti-union Intercepts, but for this challenge.]

The authoritative Daily Labor Report of the Bureau of National Affairs provides an account of the appearance of a former Bush Department of Labor official, Steven Law, before the leadership of an industry group, the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW). Law took the opportunity to mount a full scale attack on the Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow workers to use card check authorization for the purpose of union recognition. “If you think that unionizing is a great thing,” Law told the assembled, “then this (legislation) is a great thing.”

The Daily Labor Report recounts an episode in the question and answer session:

According to that audience member, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters sought to organize 30 of his company’s drivers in 2003, but obtained only 11 signed union authorization cards. Unless an employer learns of the organizing drive, “You have no chance to retaliate — I shouldn’t say retaliate,” he said to peals of nervous laughter from the audience. Rather, he corrected himself, “You have no chance to say [as an employer] what’s going on.”

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  • “You Have No Chance to Retaliate”…

    Speaking to a trade association, former Deputy Secretary of Labor Steven Law, who left the Labor Department only last month, offered this attack on the pro-union Employee Free Choice Act: You have no chance to retaliate — I shouldn’t say……

    Trackback by ACSBlog: The Blog of the American Constitution Society — February 6, 2007 @ 3:18 pm

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