While much of the nation’s attention may have shifted to health care, the unions have not given up on getting the Employee Free Choice Act (card check) passed. Patricia Felder, co-owner of Felder’s Collision Parts and a Baton Rouge Area Chamber board member warns, “It will devastate small business as we know it. I’m certainly not anti-union. I’m very anti-forced union.” Jim Patterson with the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry calls the free choice act “a coercion of workers into the union fold.” The union representatives claim “there’s been far, far more employer coercion than union intimidation.” Oh really? I doubt that given the long history of unions.
While there are those politicians who may not want “card check” legislation to come to a vote, some say big labor feels it is “owed” a vote and will push to get it while President Barack Obama and the Democrats are in control. So, whether it’s called “card check” or changed to “binding arbitration,” business owners better be beware and continue to make your voices heard in Congress. Send comments to editors@businessreport.com.—Rolfe McCollister
