Rooney Pledges to Protect Secret Ballots

Press Release

Rooney Pledges to Protect Secret Ballots

Congressman Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) today criticized the misnamed Employee Free Choice Act. The measure was introduced in Congress earlier this week and is more accurately known as the "card check" bill. This legislation would eliminate secret ballots in workplace union organizing elections, making workers vulnerable to public pressure, intimidation, and even coercion.

"Secret Ballots were used to elect President Obama and Speaker Pelosi, yet this legislation they support would outlaw secret ballots in workplace elections" said Rooney. "This bill is simply undemocratic. It will endanger jobs and stall economic growth in a time when we need to be working together to create jobs. Even President Obama's advisor Warren Buffett opposes this dangerous legislation and has warned of its catastrophic consequences on job growth. It's estimated that card check will eliminate 600,000 American jobs by 2010, which is just unacceptable during this economic crisis."

Congressman Tom Rooney is a cosponsor of the Secret Ballot Protection Act (H.R. 1176), alternative legislation that would guarantee the right to a secret ballot to workers deciding whether to unionize. It prevents unionization based solely on "card check", a process that requires only a simple majority of worker signatures on cards without any privacy in order to unionize a workplace. The Secret Ballot Protection Act ensures that no one -not unions, not employers - could ever take away workers' right vote in private, by secret ballot.

"The right to cast a secret ballot is a pillar of our democracy, and we must work to protect that right," said Rooney. "By cosponsoring The Secret Ballot Protection Act I am committed to preserving the fundamental right to keep the personal decision to join a union a private matter. We must work to fight against allowing Big Labor and employers to intimidate American workers."

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