WASHINGTON -- When Barack Obama was seeking AFL-CIO support in the primaries, he promised to sign a bill that would effectively deprive workers of a private-ballot vote in unionization drives.

The bill, which is No. 1 on organized labor's wish list, is seen by union bosses as the only way to increase depleted membership rolls because it would be easier to unionize workplaces without the bother of the private ballot to protect workers in a free and democratic election.

Obama doesn't talk about this issue much before general audiences, but it his No. 1 promise when he speaks to unions -- pledging that the so-called Employee Free Choice Act will become law in 2009 if he wins the presidency in November.

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Wonder just what ALL he has promised and who??

I am not sure why the Union would be for this bill.

A secret vote would protect those who want a Union.The Company could not use their vote against them.

How anyone votes, anywhere, is nobody's business, and should be a 'secret' only unto the voter themselves.

Look Einstein, at Wal-Mart for example...already trying to TELL their employees how to vote....warning them in not so subtle ways that if the democrats wrestle DC control from the republicans, 'Unions will be trying to come in', in which case Wal-Mart promises 'lay-offs (in a lot of cases firings to those who work to better their pay and benefits), lay-offs, and the whole usual republican pile of crap. Naturally they don't want their employees able to hide how they voted....that would make it MUCH harder for management to ferret out those little turn coats and take retaliatory action against them!

Wal-Mart isn't the only company that would, and does this. All companies for the most part hold a deep hatred for unions...never mind that the members of a Union (if they have one) are their bread and butter. They want the bread without the butter!

Tightwad companies shake in their shoes when they hear the dreaded word, 'Union', for it ultimately means their gravey train days are at high risk, and may be coming to a screeching halt.

A few well placed reprisals aimed and executed against their employes by management and owners of companies, do wonders as a deterrent, and a means of slamming the door on any improvement in the lot of the workers.

Been there done that, as a shop steward in a company that threatened to shut their doors if the union stayed ....it had been there for one year. Two can play that game, and wh during negotiations, they offered us less money, fewer benefits (back in the 70s) we WALKED. They didn't shut the door, and after 30 days of unpaid vacation on our part, they were glad to talk, reach an agreement, and hold the door open for us!

I know exactly why the union wants this "anything BUT Free Choice" legislation. So they can identify anyone who does NOT want a union, and then intimidate them, threaten them and browbeat them into changing their mind. Union thugs are well known for using those tactics. It's no wonder that communists are so "fond" of unionizing everything and everyone.

Lapcat:

I know exactly why the union wants this "anything BUT Free Choice" legislation. So they can identify anyone who does NOT want a union, and then intimidate them, threaten them and browbeat them into changing their mind. Union thugs are well known for using those tactics. It's no wonder that communists are so "fond" of unionizing everything and everyone.

And the Companies want it to intimidate anyone who wants to join a Union.

Both Leaders are in bed together.That is why unions are failing. I have people who sat in on those so called negotiations.Union Leaders have joined the CEO's.

To hell with the worker who wants better treatment.

Loree:

How anyone votes, anywhere, is nobody's business, and should be a 'secret' only unto the voter themselves.

You're a real brain-trust. It's the UNIONS that WANT to do away with secret ballots.

Dolt.

there is no such thing as a secret ballot.

While working at Walmart the department managers would be given a questionnaire and a vote on problems dealing within the company. We were promised and assured that the minute our vote was turned in it would be sealed in an envolope and sent to Arkansas. None from our store would ever see our votes.

Well, surprise surprise I walked into the office unannounced and 5 employees and the store manager were going through our ballots. Though our names were not on the ballots our answers and suggestions were and the store manager could tell whose was whose by recognizing our writing style. They were making fun of the department managers who wrote down suggestions....which I was one. I was told in no uncertain terms if I said anything there would be hell to pay...besides I had been in the company long enough to know I could have reported it to Jesus and not one damn thing would have been done about it.

SG

I'm not sure how your anecdote about the ethical failings of a small group of Wal-Mart employees equals 'there is no such thing as a secret ballot'?

Looney, read the information again, and again. Clearly you misunderstand it or you are just off on another rage demonstating how well you like your own writing style or something, but it's very bad.

Same issue where I work. The "employee surveys" are supposed to be anonymous. But the meta data associated with each survey narrows down who could have provided it to just a few people (since it identifies which group you work in at which location, and also has demographic info). Not surprisingly, one of my bosses identified one of the comments as having come from me. I anticipated that likelihood and phrased it in such a way that it didn't hurt much for him to know it came from me, but I'm sure plenty of other people screwed themselves over by taking the company's promises of anonymity seriously. These days, nobody answers the surveys honestly, because we know we aren't protected from reprisals, which makes the whole employee survey an exercise in corporate propaganda.