Christmas Card Check

Once again, Doug Bandow of The American Spectator in his article “Christmas Card Check” hits the nail on the head: So far Barack Obama has surprised supporters and opponents alike by choosing centrists for his economic and foreign policy teams. The leading exception is Labor Secretary-designate Rep. Hilda Solis, a long-time supporter of coercive unionism. The principal congressional battle is likely to be over so-called card check, which would allow Big Labor to intimidate its way to increased power. People obviously should be free to join unions. But the vast majority of Americans choose not to do so, which is why organized labor represents only 7.5 percent of private sector workers. Of course, Big Labor blames everyone else for its troubles. Evil employers. Economic woes. Unfair laws. So union officials want to fix the game. Labor relations should be left up to companies and workers, with the government simply enforcing agreements and prohibiting violence. However, unions routinely attempt to win through politics what they cannot win through economics. Current law requires that unions win a representation election to force recognition. Collecting cards signed by 30 percent of employees triggers a vote. However, unions lose 40 percent of the time, so labor activists complain that America is, well, a bit like Nazi Germany. The AFL-CIO says that "workers still lack the freedom to form unions" and companies are blocking "workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain for a better life" and "putting corporate power ahead of the freedom to form unions."