WORKFORCE FAIRNESS INSTITUTE

Washington, D.C. (June 24, 2009) – The Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI) today issued the following statement in response to actions being taken by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to end intimidation amidst a dispute about a California, union-organizing campaign.
 
“It appears that the SEIU is finally getting a taste of its own medicine – they have been one of the strongest backers of the Employee ‘Forced’ Choice Act, which would open the floodgates to increased bullying of workers, but they now decry those tactics when they are being committed by a competing union,” said Katie Packer, executive director of the Workforce Fairness Institute.  “The Workforce Fairness Institute is joining the SEIU in denouncing intimidation and coercion by supporting their actions in favor of secret ballot elections.  Now that the SEIU has seen the detriment the card check system brings to the concept of a fair unionization process, they should take a second step and acknowledge – what the rest of us already know to be true – that forced arbitration on small businesses will result in job loss and increased unemployment, devastating both employers and employees.”
 
A bill to eliminate secret ballot election in the workplace is currently making its way through Congress. Something like this could never happen, right? Actually, it could. Under the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act,” workers, in violation of our Democratic principles, would be denied their American right to a private ballot in union organizing elections in the workplace. Workers would be forced to publicly state their vote -- for everyone to see.  This is more appropriately called the FORCED CHOICE ACT and would fundamentally change the rights of employees in the workplace … it would force unions on them; force contracts on them and force payment of dues on them.

The Workforce Fairness Institute is an organization committed to educating voters, employers, employees and citizens about issues affecting the workplace. To learn more, please visit: http://www.workforcefairness.com.
 
To schedule an interview with a Workforce Fairness Institute representative, please contact Kelly Oliver (ext. 140) or Mary Beth Hutchins (ext. 105) at (703) 683-5004.
 
 
BACKGROUND:
 
SEIU Alleges That Upstart National Union Of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) Is Intimidating And Misleading Workers And Calls On Federal Officials To “Throw Out Petitions”:
 
“For years, the powerful Service Employees International Union has played a lead role in the campaign for a landmark federal law that would allow workers to join a labor organization simply by signing petitions.  Now, as part of a high-stakes battle in California, the union is urging federal officials to throw out petitions signed by tens of thousands of its own members who have asked to be represented by a rival upstart group.  The David-vs.-Goliath face-off pits the SEIU, its $300-million annual budget and its legions of staffers, lobbyists and lawyers against a band of about 150 insurgents who are either volunteers or being paid from donations.  Most have defected from the SEIU’s 2-million-strong ranks.  In lodging legal challenges to the roughly 80 petitions filed by its fledgling competitor, the SEIU has moved to block organizing elections at hospitals, clinics and nursing homes up and down the state … One of the giant union’s allegations echoes a key argument that corporate interests make against the proposed law, the Employee Free Choice Act: that labor activists can intimidate or mislead workers during organizing campaigns.” (Paul Pringle, “SEIU Borrows Business’ Anti-Union Tactics To Fend Off A Rival”, Los Angeles Times, 6/24/09)