Secret Elections Challenged

New legislation introduced in Congress would strip away workers’ rights to a federally supervised secret ballot election when deciding whether or not to join a union, leaving workers far more vulnerable to coercion and intimidation during union organizing drives.

The “Employee Free Choice Act,” introduced by Rep. George Miller (D-CA), would replace secret ballot elections with a process called “card check” where a union is recognized in a workplace if a majority of workers sign a card in the presence of union organizers.

Under the card check process, the identity of workers who signed (or refused to sign) organizing cards would be made public to the union organizers, the worker’s employer and co-workers, thus leaving workers vulnerable to threats and intimidation from union bosses, management, or both.

The PIA strongly opposes the legislation, believing workers deserve the right to make decisions free of outside intimidation, whether from the union or from management.