Coleman, Franken Both Miss the Point on EFCA

Statement

Published in the Star Tribune on Saturday, Aug. 30.

Dear Editor:

Thank you for your well-reasoned editorial on the so-called Employee Free Choice Act ("Proposed labor bill has fatal voting flaw," Aug. 27, 2008).

This bill, written by and for the labor unions, was designed to help bolster union membership, but would do so by making an end-run around the secret ballot, an integral component of free societies around the world.

DFL Senate candidate Al Franken supports EFCA without question because the labor bosses propping up his floundering campaign demand blind loyalty. Meanwhile, Sen. Norm Coleman, who is masquerading this election season as a results-oriented leader, opposes the bill because his corporate sponsors have made defeating EFCA a top priority.

Unfortunately, however, Franken and Coleman both miss the simple point your editorial board made so clear: preserve the EFCA provisions that increase penalties on companies that stand in the way of workers who wish to unionize, but do so without infringing on the fundamental right of the secret ballot.

Sen. DEAN BARKLEY
Plymouth

Dean Barkley is an Independence Party candidate for U.S. Senate. He served in the Senate from November 2002 to January 2003 following the death of Paul Wellstone.

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