Sunday, November 2, 2008

David Hawpe finds safety in distortion

Louisville Courier Journal columnist David Hawpe's Sunday column about workplace safety somehow shifted into a plug for allowing union bosses to intimidate workers into paying union dues with the proposed card check law:

"What is the voice of business saying in this election? The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is using its stash of cash for nationwide airing of YouTube footage, depicting an encounter between Kentucky AFL-CIO president Bill Londrigan and an unidentified videographer at a Paducah Labor Day parade. The Chamber bills this as illustrative of how "union bosses are pressuring Congress" to approve the Employee Free Choice Act. Passed overwhelmingly by the House earlier this year, it would eliminate secret-ballot elections and permit unions to organize by signing cards instead. While overwhelmingly endorsed by the House earlier this year, the legislation stalled in the McConnell-controlled Senate."

Perhaps you noticed the word "overwhelmingly" used twice to describe how the House approved of the Employee Free Choice Act, which would take away the freedom of secret-ballot union elections. Hawpe can click his heels together three times and whisper "card check has overwhelming support" if he wants to, but that won't make it true. Thirteen union-state Republicans joined Democrats in voting for the bill in what more accurately might be described as nearly a party line vote.

Labor unions have caused enough damage to Kentucky's economy by keeping potential employers out. Avoiding card check, making Kentucky a right to work state, and repealing prevailing wage would provide more work opportunities for our citizens. We need that much more than we need to prop up union bosses.

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