Business Leaders from 12 States Blitz Capitol Hill to Oppose Card Check Bill 'Compromise'

Business Leaders from 12 States Blitz Capitol Hill to Oppose Card Check Bill 'Compromise'
As Key Senators Meet Today to Discuss Future of Bill, More than 300 Businesses Join Chorus of Opposition

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Local business and community leaders from 12 states today flooded Capitol Hill to urge Congress not to "compromise" on the so-called "Employee Free Choice Act," or Card Check bill. More than 300 participants joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's third Workforce Freedom Airlift to express their opposition to the bill and "compromise" proposals on the same day that a group of Democratic senators met to discuss the legislation's future.

The controversial Card Check bill would effectively strip workers of a private vote in union organizing elections, allow the federal government to dictate wages and working conditions through binding interest arbitration, and impose one-sided penalties on employers. Certain "compromise" proposals floated by some members of Congress would essentially achieve the same results by calling for mail-in ballots to form unions and "baseball" style last-best-offer arbitration in contract negotiations.

"Main Street business leaders are flocking to Washington to let Congress know that there is no acceptable 'compromise' on this bill," said Steven J. Law, chief legal officer and general counsel for the U.S. Chamber. "You can't sidestep coercion by moving it from the parking lot to the living room, and binding interest arbitration in any form still allows government to dictate contracts to workers and employers."

During the event, business leaders from Arkansas, California, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, and Wisconsin will meet with their elected officials.

The Workforce Freedom Airlift also includes print advertisements in various states and inside the Beltway. In parallel, the Chamber's online "Virtual March on Washington" allows those unable to come to Capitol Hill to voice opposition to the bill by sending an email directly to their lawmakers. Roughly 15,000 activists are participating in the March through the Web site www.savethesecretballot.com.

More information about the U.S. Chamber's efforts to defeat this job-killing measure is available at www.uschamber.com/wfi

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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