Cantor: Card Check Jeopardizes Right to Work Laws

Eric Cantor (R-VA), the House minority whip, recognizes the threat enactment of the Card Check Forced Unionism bill will have on Right to Work states:

Right to Work laws that allow employees to refrain from joining a union or paying union dues could be jeopardized over the long term, if the Employee Free Choice Act (also known as Card Check) were to become law, according to Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.). Cantor’s concern is shared by other small business and free market advocates who view Card Check as a vehicle to accelerate unionization efforts in the 22 states that now have Right to Work laws including Virginia. Card check proponents predict that union membership could grow by 1.5 million members every year over the next 10 to 15 years, as a result of the legislation.

Six Democratic senators reportedly have agreed to drop the Card Check component of the legislation in a compromise to attract moderate lawmakers. But the bill would retain a binding arbitration provision opposed by groups like the Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI) and National Right to Work (NRTW).

Even if the bill is passed in its current form, it would not impact Right to Work laws right away, but it could open the way to possible changes that come with higher rates of unionization, Cantor said.

“The spirit of the law, the letter of the law will not be impacted by this bill,” Cantor said. “But this bill could very well lead to further encroachments on the rights of workers and rights of business leaders. The traditions of right to work in this country and certainly in Virginia should always come first and I think we should be vigilant in defending that and I’m worried that the EFCA bill if passed could threaten its liability.”