State and Local Chambers of Commerce Tell Congress to Oppose "Card Check"

Legislation Would Violate Worker Privacy and Make Businesses Less Competitive

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Over 180 state and local chambers of commerce from all 22 right-to-work states sent letters to Congress today opposing Card Check legislation, pointing out that it would effectively strip employees of a private ballot in union organizing drives, interfere with a worker's ability to deal directly with their employer, and force unfair mandates on businesses.

Card Check "invites intimidation and coercion [and] leads to widespread disenfranchisement of workers" by effectively removing the secret ballot in union elections, the letters point out. It also forces employers into "binding interest arbitration to set all the terms and conditions of a union contract," impairing American companies' ability to compete globally.

"Employees should be able to vote their conscience in a private ballot election, free from intimidation or fear of retribution," said Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Members of Congress should not deny workers the freedom to choose."

The letter also points out that workers in right-to-work states—those with laws prohibiting required union membership or dues payment of workers—are "just as likely as those in other states to find themselves suddenly unionized as the result of a secret card check campaign."

Data recently compiled by the U.S. Chamber showed that the economies of right-to-work states grew faster than those that compelled membership or payment of union dues. "Over the five-year period from 2001 – 2006, the average right-to-work state saw its gross state product grow by 18.1 percent, versus 13.6 percent for non-right-to-work states," the research in the study Is Unionization the Ticket to the Middle Class? The Real Economic Effects of Labor Unions points out.

"Given these difficult times, it is more critical than ever that businesses have the flexibility necessary to meet the needs of a challenging economy if we are to create an environment in which businesses can grow and create jobs," the letter states. Card Check "is inconsistent with this critical goal."

View the full letter here: /wfi/090210_righttowork

View the full study here: /assets/labor/unionrhetoric_econeffects.pdf

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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