If you wondering why I need to write about another bloggers' conference call about the so-called Employee Free Choice Act, then you haven't heard the news--the House of Representatives used the Obama-endorsed hurry-up offense to push--some might say sneak--cap-and-trade out of the House and into the Senate.
Cap-and-trade is the national energy tax that will make everything more expensive.
Now is the time for conservatives and anyone else opposed to the radical left to be vigilant.
Which brings us back to EFCA. Yesterday I participated in a bloggers' call with Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), who just yesterday was named the ranking Republican member on the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee.
Price is also an orthopaedic surgeon, and he believes EFCA is a bad dose of medicine for America.
Referring to name of the bill, Price said that "nothing is free about his bill, and nothing provides choice about this bill."
Under current labor law, workers have the right of a secret ballot to determine if they want to join a union. EFCA will change that--replacing it with a sign-up sheet drive, known as card check, which invites opportunity for worker intimidation.
Labor bosses want more members--they believe card check will increase their rolls--reversing a decades-long decline, and this fresh fodder will invigorate, for a while, failing multi-employer union pension plans.
If EFCA becomes law, it will involve more federal meddling in private business, something that could be deadly to small firms in particular. Flexibility is crucial to small business, and while government is a lot of things--flexible is not one of them.
Regarding secret ballot elections, Price said they are "something that is sacrosanct in our society, it is the fundamental right of each and every citizen to have their voice heard in a secret ballot manner--for any election."
Price noted that EFCA has 226 co-sponsors in the House--a majority. The lower chamber passed EFCA last year--but it went nowhere after that. It was re-introduced this year, but Price says the next move on the bill will come in the Senate. As I blogged last month, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) is working on an EFCA compromise. But while Price said the bill is "currently on the backburner," it could come up for a vote in this month--Harkin might force a vote just to see where the other 99 senators stand on this bill.
Price declared that the threat of EFCA becoming law is "very concerning from a business standpoint, it's very concerning from a jobs standpoint, it's very concerning from a freedom standpoint." With that in mind, Price said e-mails, phone calls and faxes are very effective methods in putting pressure on members of Congress. He's part of that elite group--he knows. Price added that it's also a good idea to express support to anti-EFCA legislators as well--give them encouragement.
That's some very good advice from the doctor. Not just about the so-called Employee Free Choice Act, but about any hot button issue, such as cap-and-trade, which is now the property of the Senate.
This is your country, your government, your Congress.
Report from the bloggers' conference call with Rep. John Kline talking about EFCA
Union members: More equal than others in Obama's America
EFCA still sub-sixty?
Compromise on card check coming?
Report from the bloggers' conference call on EFCA and cash for union coffers
Report from the bloggers' conference call on EFCA and under-funded pensions
SEIU prez: Union spent $60.7 million to elect Obama
George McGovern: "The ‘Free Choice’ Act Is Anything But"
Report from the bloggers' conference call about Employee FORCED Choice binding arbitration
Report from the bloggers' confernce call about card check
Former union organizer talks about card check
Nonsense from a South Dakota AFL-CIO official about card check
Minority business groups coming out against card check
Sen. Mitch McConnell on card check
Card check update: "A mortal threat to American freedom"
Blagojevich and union "card check"
Employee "free choice" may drive economic uncertainty
Technorati tags: labor politics unions news business card check efca employee free choice act tom price georgia harkin cap and trade