Unions against secret ballot

All through the congressional battles over Iraq war funding and illegal immigration, big labor leaders have been waiting patiently for Democrats to deliver on one of their 2006 campaign promises. Because unions are disappearing from the private sector, they want Congress to tilt labor law in their favor.

Their number has finally been called in the Senate, which is expected to vote soon on the grossly mislabeled Employee Free Choice Act. The bill, passed by the House three months ago on a 241-185 vote, would essentially do away with secret ballots in organization elections and impose a card check system nationwide.

Of course, a choice is never more free than when made during a secret ballot. The vote is made in an environment free of harassment and free from fear of retribution. There is no need to explain your choice to any side seeking election -- you cast your vote and walk away.

It's such a cherished American tradition, not only have congressional Democrats elected their leaders through secret ballot, they've urged other nations to conduct union votes in exactly the same way.

Scripps Howard News Service columnist Deroy Murdock pointed out that on Aug. 29, 2001, 16 House Democrats wrote a letter to Mexican labor officials, urging them "to use the secret ballot in all union recognition elections. We feel that the secret ballot is absolutely necessary in order to ensure that workers are not intimidated into voting for a union that they might not otherwise choose."

"Of this letter's eleven signers still in Congress, including EFCA sponsor George Miller, D-Calif., all voted to deny American workers secret ballots," Mr. Murdock wrote, pointing out that organized labor still insists on secret ballots to decertify unions.

Under a card check system, however, union members get to confront workers one at a time, make their pitch and ask for a signature that's equivalent to a "yes" vote for unionization. If a worker respectfully declines to sign the card, union supporters don't have to leave him alone. They're allowed to keep after the worker, following his vehicle or calling on his home at all hours, until the worker signs the card.

Unions need an environment conducive to intimidation because, as United Food and Commercial Workers President Joe Hansen says about the secret-ballot process: "We can't win that way anymore."

That's nonsense. Union leaders need look no further than the Las Vegas Strip to see that they can win secret ballots. On May 12, full-time dealers at Wynn Las Vegas voted 444-149 to be represented by the Transportation Workers Union of America.

Secret ballots are fair. The Senate should abort this monstrosity.