Organized Labor

House Passes “Card Check” Union Organization Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would allow unions to use a process known as “card check” to determine whether or not employees want to be represented by a union.  The bill, known as the Employee Free Choice Act, would allow union representatives to forego a private vote under the supervision of the National Labor Relations Board.  According to the bill’s sponsors, if a majority of employees in a bargaining unit sign an authorization card in favor of a labor organization, the National Labor Relations Board must certify the union as the sole representative for those workers.

SHRM opposes the bill on the grounds that a private ballot best protects the rights of individual workers.  SHRM is a leading member of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, a partnership of employee and employer organizations that supports workers’ existing right to a federally supervised private ballot.

While the bill easily passed the House of Representatives, significant opposition is anticipated in the U.S. Senate.  The White House also recently announced that President Bush will veto the bill if it passes both chambers of Congress.

For more information about these and other public policy issues, please visit www.shrm.org
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