Issue Position: American Indian Position - Employee Free Choice Act

Issue Position

In March of 2009, the "Employee Free Choice Act of 2009" (EFCA) was introduced in both the House and Senate. As a new Administration moves into the White House, labor unions prepare their top priority legislation to organize employees and grow their fiefdoms. Organized labor has made the enactment of EFCA a top priority in Washington, DC.

EFCA is a proposed amendment to the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which seeks to increase the power of unions to organize employees by permitting "card checks" by a majority of employees instead of a secret ballot election to decide the formation of a labor bargaining unit. "Card check" takes away the worker's right to privacy and truly removes the core democratic value of the right to vote privately. This bill would give organized labor the ability to harass and coerce workers into joining their union.

At a time when the state and national economy are floundering, unions are again trying to advance their agenda and control how businesses are run in the name of protecting workers' rights. By forcing businesses to bow to their demands, jobs are lost and workers are hurt. Fostering business in our state is tantamount to reducing unemployment, growing the economy, and bringing back flourishing communities where families can live and prosper.

Unions say their strong support for the passage of EFCA is related to the protection of workers' rights, but the EFCA actually limits workers' freedom of choice and protection from harassment that is guaranteed by secret ballot. Their membership numbers have dropped three fold in the last half century and they need to re-build their ranks and EFCA seems like the easiest way to do it. Labor's real intentions are transparent, grow the membership and put millions of dollars into their campaign coffers to buy more political power.

We strongly support the right of workers to voluntarily join unions under fair and democratic rules. The secret ballot system has worked for both business and employees. Radically changing the law would further cost California, and other states, businesses and job in epic proportions. We are in a fragile state where citizens are worried about their financial future and their future employment. Passing a law that will lead to added costs and regulations to business owners, and therefore more layoffs, is ill advised at this time.

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