Group launched to stop legislation that would make union organizing easier

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.whas11.com/home/Pro-business-group-launched-to-stop-legislation-that-would-make-union-organizing-easier-95566279.html

Video: http://www.whas11.com/home/Pro-business-group-launched-to-stop-legislation-that-would-make-union-organizing-easier-95566279.html

WHAS11.com

Posted on June 4, 2010 at 12:45 AM

Updated Friday, Jun 4 at 12:53 AM

A pro-business group launched in Kentucky on Thursday aims to make "card check" legislation an issue in the congressional elections this fall.

The Coalition to Protect Kentucky Jobs is a project of the Workforce Fairness Institute, which is backed by unspecified business owners. The Kentucky effort is supported by the Associated Builders and Contractors of Kentuckiana, the American Small Business Partnership, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers.

It's about the Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow workers at a non-union employer to simply sign up if they want union representation rather than by secret ballot. The bill has fallen short of bipartisan support in recent Congresses.

"This legislation would take away the secret ballot and it would essentially put a union boss, a big labor boss looking over your shoulder as you try to make the decision about whether you want to be in a union," said the Coalition's state director, Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist and former George W. Bush White House aide. Jennings also is one of WHAS11's unpaid political analysts for election coverage.

"It's extremely important," said Kentucky AFL-CIO President, Bill Londrigan, "especially in this economy because unions raise wages for working people. People who are in unions are 50% more likely to have health insurance, three times as likely to have pensions and retirement plans. Their wages on average are 30% higher than those that are non union."

Londrigan, says he learned of the new group as it was launched, but is familiar with opposition to "card check," which Londigran refers to as "majority sign-up."

FULL story and video at link.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

1. What is this bill of which Coalition to Protect Kentucky Jobs (double)speaks?

The Employee Free Choice WHAT?