Labor facts strained
Regarding Beth Thew’s guest opinion on the Feb. 8 Roundtable page, she stated that the Employee Free Choice Act will not eliminate the secret ballot in union certifications. She also stated that anyone who says otherwise is lying. Well, Beth was playing more than a little loose with the truth herself.
Under current law, a secret ballot election is held if 30 percent of employees sign statements asking for representation by a union. An employer can currently demand a secret ballot even if a majority of employees have signed cards. If the EFCA is enacted, the National Labor Relations Board must certify a union to be the bargaining agent without an election if a majority of the employees sign cards.
Therefore, if a majority of the employees sign cards, the existing right to a secret ballot election is eliminated. Your statements were incorrect, Beth.
Gerald Click
Spokane