Card Check Legislation-Eisman Shares View

My name is Elliott Eisman. My wife Mary and I own and operate the McDonald’s in Owatonna, Medford and Waseca. We have been members of the Owatonna Chamber of Commerce for many years and appreciate the opportunity Brad has given me to make our members aware of possible legislation that could be devastating to all of our businesses. I’m speaking about the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) or "Card Check."

Trade unions and their allies are pushing for changes in federal law that would make it easier to unionize a workforce. They want to eliminate secret ballots from the process. Instead, the will of employees would be determined by "card check"—signed cards indicating a wish to be represented by a particular union. Unions say that "card check" would protect employees from intimidation, but the opposite is true. It would make it easier to organize a workforce because it would eliminate long-standing employee protections against coercion, peer pressure, misrepresentation, and improper inducements. The proposed card check legislation also calls for mandatory third-party arbitration in some cases and would potentially deny employees the right to vote on a contract and deny both them and employers a remedy for contracts with harmful economic terms.

Here are the key messages to convey when you contact your Representatives and Senators:

Card check is a misguided attempt to fix a system that isn’t broken.
Card check would eliminate current protections against intimidation.
Card check cannot adequately ensure employee free choice.

The current union authorization process reflects our common understanding of the principles of democracy. The current card check bill would undermine the collective bargaining process. Card check is not the way to improve conditions for working people.

Trade unions have been struggling to reverse declining memberships for at least 20 years. Card check is payback for their support of the new administration. The new administration has targeted card check as one of their first priorities. I will leave sample letters at the Chamber of Commerce to use to contact your congressmen. Please let them know how you feel and talk with other business people and get them involved. To call your Senators, use 202-224-3121 and for the House dial 202-225-3121.

Thank you for your interest and your support.

Elliott Eisman