Loss of secret ballot is hardly fair

Posted on by George Keller

In her March 14 letter [“Fair to Workers, So Why Cry Foul?”], Laura Gordon told us that the Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800) would “make union organizing more fair for workers.” I beg to differ with that opinion.

This legislation deserves to be criticized because it does not support free choice for the employees. Instead, it permits pressure and bullying on the part of the employer (to not support) and/or the proposed bargaining agent (to gain support) in the workers’ decision to be represented by a particular union. It removes one of the most sacred rights of our citizens: the secret ballot.

In Buncombe County and in North Carolina, we have recently changed our ways of voting just so we can be even more sure that the will of the people can be freely expressed [by way of] a private, secret ballot. This same freedom has been a vital part of the process of voting for or against unionization. What a person says in public, or even writes in public documents, is one thing; [but] the thing that counts in our elections is what our electorate writes in the privacy of the voting booth.

Rep. [Heath] Shuler voted to take away from working men and women that right to the secret ballot. He voted to permit bullying by management and/or unions. We should be indignant! He deserves our criticism. H.R. 800 deserves to be defeated.

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10 thoughts on “Loss of secret ballot is hardly fair”

  2. Jason Bugg

    I’m willing to bet that your dislike of Shuler has less to do with his (rather brief) voting record and more to do with the “D” beside his name.

  3. Devilhawk

    Actually it has more to do with his stand against the North Shore road and his lack of political experience.

  4. Jason Bugg

    Why do you care about the North Shore road? It’s an 80 year old promise from the government. Of course it’s not going to get filled, no matter how many people want Johnson City to turn into Gatlinburg.

  5. Devilhawk

    Where is Johnson City and what does it have to do with this 64 year old issue? Oh I bet its in Tennessee where Heath should be in a couple of years.

  6. Jason Bugg

    Excuse me, I meant Bryson City. Factual error, my bad.

    Once again. What’s with the Shuler hatred? I’m not a big fan of the guy, but it seems like you have a personal beef with him.

  7. Devilhawk

    All who have worked for so long to see the completion of the road have him for the final dagger.

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