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Friday, February 10, 2012
City Enters Debate Over Federal Labor Bill
by Kathleen Haley, published on April 7, 2009 at 7:43 PM
Storyline: Sacramento City Hall / Politics
By Kathleen Haley
A controversial federal bill that would change the way employees join unions won the support of three Sacramento City Council members Tuesday.
Sacramento’s law and legislation committee -- made up of four city council members -- backed the federal bill known as the Employee Free Choice Act.
The legislation would give employees “more freedom,” said Councilman Steve Cohn, a member of the committee.
Sacramento “should be on board supporting it,” Cohn said.
The EFCA would revamp current procedures for joining labor unions. Supporters argue that the bill bolsters employee protections in disputes and gives employees the ability to unionize through a method of signing cards.
Opponents, meanwhile, argue that the bill would hurt businesses.
Opponents and supporters are debating the role of secret ballots in the bill: business groups say secret ballots could no longer be used in union elections if the EFCA passes, while unions say that secret ballot would continue to be one of two systems for unionizing.
The law and legislation committee decided in a 3-1 vote to recommend that the entire City Council officially support the federal legislation in a city resolution.
Councilman Robbie Waters opposed the committee’s recommendation, saying that the bill is outside of the purview of the Sacramento City Council and should be considered a federal issue.
The City Council is tentatively scheduled to address the federal bill at its April 21 meeting.
Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy chairs the city’s law and legislation committee. Council members Steve Cohn, Lauren Hammond and Robbie Waters are members of the committee.
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Unions have done some great things in the past, but they are now corrupt and no different than any other organized crime syndicate.
Regardless of your feelings about unions, Card Check is un-American, open ballots violate our privacy and if it were to pass, which is unlikely, it should be challenged in court as an unconstitutional violation of privacy. There is simply NO REASON whatsoever to have open balloting...I challenge ANYONE to give one rational argument to have open balloting...go ahead and give it a try...I would love to hear any of the rationale!