Unions May Push ‘Card Check’ During Lame Duck Session

Speaking with Fox News’ Stuart Varney, the Utility Workers Union of America’s Stewart Acuff hints that Big Labor may make a final push for the so-called Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), aka “card check” legislation.  Facing big Democratic losses, the lame duck session following the November election may be Big Labor’s last chance to get this major Dem agenda item through Congress:

“We will push the Employee Free Choice Act any time we can and at any opportunity…”

In July, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) introduced a resolution (read it here) “pledging not to assemble on or between the dates of November 2, 2010 and January 3, 2011, except in the case of an unforeseen, sudden emergency requiring immediate action from Congress.”

White House energy adviser Carol Browner left the door open to the Congress potentially passing energy legislation in a lame-duck session when queried on ‘Meet the Press’ at the beginning of August:

The House later voted to prevent the House of Representatives from considering Rep. Price’s resolution:

Comments (37)

  • treven
    Posted on September 9, 2010 at 6:37am

    One thing I’ve always wondered, is how anyone with a conscience (and yes I know we’re talking about politicians) would vote for anything just because they can get away with it. What would allow them to, in their own minds, to have to lie, or broker special deals, or wait until there’s no repercussions to pass a law that would affect millions of people? Why do they keep chipping away and dealing out pieces of something they so firmly believe in? If I have a sincerely held belief, and I truly believe in it, I will defend it any day, and every day, no matter the consequences.

    Report Post »  
  • antney45669
    Posted on September 9, 2010 at 1:35am

    At&t Wireless is indeed unionized, I work there. I have paid my union dues for the past 4 years, something in the tune of $15 to $25 every two weeks. In the mean time, I have watch the work force where i work drop from nearly 1200 people to 400 people. Why? Because this great CWA sits back as a lot of our jobs has been outsourced to non-union third party companies!! We were told during the last contract negotiation that we pretty much had to take the very little raise At&t offered because union participation and support was low and at&t knows it and would not offer any more. Unfortunately I work in a state where i have no choice I have to support the union. I could quit i suppose, maybe go work at the hospital and join the Seiu..where over 200 people were laid off. See these unions do nothing to protect my job, i do that myself but coming to work each day and meeting what I am told to meet. I just pay union dues for the CWA to send the elect few on lavish trips and probably to Washington 10/2…I should have asked them to pay for me to go and see Glenn Beck 8/28…Lord knows I have gave them enough of my money. I guess my whole point is..since Mr. Acuff mentioned that At&t wireless is totally unionized..well not really. There are probably more outsourced employees doing jobs for at&t then there are actual at&t unionized employees.I guess at&t is just smarter then the CWA!

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  • Honor101
    Posted on September 9, 2010 at 12:04am

    Obama does not have all of those czars for nothing. Do you really think he cares if the Republicans take over? He has already said “freeze” and other key words indicating that he will finish his work from within. I think all of these ideals like card check and cap n trade are already embedded in some of the ridiculous legislature passed into law, and it is just a matter of time for Obama to implement it all by 2012. Obama Loves the Unions, and he will do everything in his power to grow the unions. By doing so, he thinks it is a guaranteed vote for him in 2012, but it is good to see all unions are not bad unions…..but it doesn’t mean I want my business to have to go union because someone said so.

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  • Doc_Slammin
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:58pm

    Let me clear a few misconceptions I’ve read here. Depending on the state, whether you join an existing union or not is completely up to you. In Indiana, you can refuse to pay union dues, however, the existing union must represent you as they would a regular member or they can be brought before the Nation Labor Board. Furthermore, political contributions are NOT taken from the general union funds, they are taken from a specific political fund that you can either choose to participate in or not. I never participated in VCAP, nor have I ever felt pressured to do so.

    That being said, the big unions all have a socialist agenda that the rank and file haven’t yet been able to oust. The type of elitist rederick Obama spreads are the same socialistic redericks the unions TRY to spread to the rank and file. They have become the people that they “so despised”.

    Report Post » Doc_Slammin  
  • independentvoteril
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:42pm

    here’s my thought IF I were to get a job where they did a card check to get the Union in I would NOT VOTE.. it might cost me my job but so be it.. I don’t like thugs of any kind and to me this is another bullying tactic.. actually I would vote NO just to be difficult.. I work hard for my money and giving to someone for their own power isn’t something I would do..

    Report Post » independentvoteril  
  • B62
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 9:30pm

    I worked for a company here in Michigan 22 years ago. The day I hired in I was told I had a retirement plan, a profit sharing plan, a 401K plan, full paid perscription,health,glasses and dental plan, a very generous vacation plan, plus 16 days personal time each year and could earn 8 more per year for perfect attendence, and a great life insurance oh yes and 5 work uniforms per week that they cleaned for you. very clean working enviroment and music piped through the entire factory.Great wages. I said to the plant manager “thats a great package”, “what local is this” ? he said, “local”? I said,“ you know ” What union”? He just smiled and said “This is a non-union shop! ” I worked there for 12 years it got bought out by a big corporation, divded and moved all over the States The committee that represented us and Management got together a good severance package. The only thing we couldn’t do was Strike. We really never thought of that. Some people there did complain about things but alot of them never really had to work in a sweat shop, they really didn’t know what they had. I couldn’t believe that the owner gave his employees (325) all these benifits. If you keep your employees happy you don’t need a union. Thanks Mr. Krauss I also have worked in union shops that was nothing more than a large click with a lot of favoritism. They had no problem taking 2 hrs wages each month. They always have the attitude “you can’t make me do that, its out of my classfication, with a constant struggle of union against management and management against union.

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    • treven
      Posted on September 9, 2010 at 6:31am

      That reminds me a lot of my situation. As an electrician I watched the union vs. non-union quarrel most of my life (including union bullets through my non-union boss’ back windshield), I hired on with a VERY large non-union shop. Equal pay, a better benefit plan, a much better retirement plan, no dues, no forced striking, and no one telling me how to vote. We did a large job on a California college campus along with union shop who did the security and fire alarm systems. The first thing you’d notice is the general attitude of my co-workers. We were much happier, they were disgruntled, arrogant and had this expectance of entitlement. We worked faster, did better work, and didn’t whine about menial crap. Then the 2008 elections came around, and I had the chance to talk to a strong Christian worker from the union shop. He told about the pressure he got to vote for a baby killing, inexperience social organizer over his Lord. Thanks, but I‘ll take my freedom over a corrupt system that’s long since served it’s usefullness.

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  • tankchaser
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 8:23pm

    The Employee Freedom of Choice Act,(aka as card check), What a scam, I would not let anyone look over my shoulder while I vote for my elected officials,(notice I didn’t say leaders) why on earth would I just want to sign a card under pressure from the person that handed it to me to bring in a union. The secret ballot is good enough for elections why isn’t it good enough for voting in or out a union???
    I used to belong to the AFLCIO, and all they ever did for me was make sure when the layoff happened that I got axed even though I worked circles around the older workers that thought they were owed a steady job. Hey Unions, think about this, you collective bargain for higher pay and benefits that’s good for you all but let me ask, when you get your high pay and then the cost of everything you make to sell the ordinary people goes up, making demand go down as less and less people can afford your goods. Face it a corporation like GM can’t pay you $50.00 and hour plus benefits to make cars to sell to people making $10.00 an hour, The older unions did indeed help fix allot of things that were wrong in the factories of old, ( safer working conditions, and a living wage are good things!! However I need to ask where does it stop, how much is enough??

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  • V-Forge
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 4:01pm

    I’m ready for card check. I’ll put it back in their hands and say no. i’m ready for the consequences after that. These people need to be defeated or there will be no jobs left in this country. Only the illegals will not need to get the higher pay or the insurance. They need to wake up and see what’s about to happen to them. with card check no american business man will be able to hire an american without really strict rules and taxes. If they hire an illegal they won’t have to worry about all that nonsense. The democrats will finally have their slave race of cheap labor that worships the state ffor crumbs and any opposition will have starved or been re-educated. Or as Bill Ayers suggested, eliminated.

    Report Post » V-Forge  
  • CoFX
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 3:25pm

    Lame Duck sessions are complete lunacy. If you ran a buisness that had a board of directors, and you fired half of them, would you allow them to keep making decisions for your company for two months? You probably wouldn’t have much of a business left when they were done! This used to be fine when politicians were actually serving thier country’s best interests, but that was a long, long time ago. My suggestion would be to either move elections to the days before congress’ summer vacation, and let the new members undergo orientation then, taking over as soon as congress is back in session, or as Rep. Price suggsts, shut the whole place down between elections and the new session….. but not just for this year – make it policy. It’s not like they really work anyway. Might as well lock them out for a couple more months.

    Report Post » Rogue  
  • TeaPartyPatriot
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:57pm

    After the voters throw out the majority of lunatic-left d-crat socialists running in Nov, these reprobates will then show up for a lame-duck session of CONgress. With nothing further to lose, they will vote for CAP-AND-TAX, other massive TAX INCREASES (including possibly a VAT), “card check” to REQUIRE ALL American workers to join a d-crat party supporting union, and they will vote for a FULL AMNESTY for ILLEGALS bill that will provide ILLEGALS with full government benefits and voting rights for the 2012 presidential election.

    Count on it.

    Report Post » TeaPartyPatriot  
  • Texas Patriot
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:29pm

    If the Republicans take the house and possibly the Senate; watch out for the most violent, evil, viral lame duch session ever.

    The Dems (And the POTUS) will be absolutely rabid in their zeal to pass their nation destroying agenda.

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    • missmarie
      Posted on September 9, 2010 at 12:17am

      I’m thinking along those lines, too. It’s sort of scary.

      Report Post » missmarie  
  • Libertarian Infidel
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 11:54am

    If you rearrange the letters in union, you can spell oniun, which is close to the spelling of something that stinks.

    Report Post » Libertarian Infidel  
  • Viana
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 9:03am

    Where is the majority in these cases: The boses or the members? Unions function like the communist government: control and intimidation. Fear is the most paralizing emotion in the world, they know that and they use it on their members. Who wouldn’t be afraid of loosing his/er job?. And that’s exactly what their leaders preach. There’s got to be a way out of this: more publicity about their unions modus operandy and how they can be overturned. If we don’t stand up to them now they are going to take over the country and destroy freedom as we know it. Then the sacrifice of so many lives from the birth of the Republic until now would have been in vain. Is that legacy we want to leave for our children?

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  • wingedwolf
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 8:47am

    Let them have at it. It can be repealed, like their medical takeover. They are going to have a tantrum like all spoiled children do when you take away their candy. We are going to have to put on our big girl and big boy panties and deal with the damage they have done, are doing and will do before order and peace are restored. We may not like it, but we allowed this to happen by not taking action against these idiots before they got a foothold, and don’t say the red-alerts weren’t there. I have been screaming about it since the 1970′s and been called every name in the book including chicken little for trying to sound the warning. Maybe from this time forward we will PAY ATTENTION so we can keep our country the kind of America it should be.

    Report Post » wingedwolf  
  • Rickfromillinois
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 8:06am

    If anything shows just what type of thugs are running the unions more then the card check I don’t know what it is. The whole idea that secret ballots need to done away with so that union members can know who voted against them so that they can “convince” them to change their mind is disgusting. What kind of people would propose this idea and what kind of political party would consider making it a Federal law? Thugs and those who are owned by thugs. The mafia has nothing on these people. As for opting out of having your union dues used for political purposes, the problem is you have to tell the union, and they might just want to “convince” you that it is a bad idea. The rule by intimidation. Their mascot should be a huge fat hog with a mask and a gun. They nothing more then fat hog thugs always at the feed trough constantly squealing for more. Oink Oink Oink

    Report Post » Rickfromillinois  
  • MOLLYPITCHER
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 7:57am

    Disband all of the unions and save the Republic!!! Their bulldog tactics are not welcome in society. They just want to be able to push people into Union membership by use of intimidation. For all of you that happen to work in a field dominated by Unions – this is not directed to you, but to the “fat cats” at the top that are living high on the hog from the money generated by your dues. My dad was a Union man for most of his life, but he never bought into their freedom-stealing ways.

    Report Post » MOLLYPITCHER  
  • A1955Rosie
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 7:26am

    I can see lame duck under an emergency, especially if it involves grid or communications. It’s one of the component I fear this winter. I’m employed but have little to prepare for what I fear they will do to the economy. I put it in God’s hand but will in the meantime DECREASE ANY UNION DONATIONS OTHER THAN STRAIGHT DUES!

    Report Post » A1955Rosie  
  • BQI
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 6:01am

    If these arrogant people pass these bills during the lame duck session, I think this will just about do it for the country………

    “The Black Church, Obama and Social Unrest”…….www.blackquillandink.com

    Report Post » BQI  
  • DrammyCoke
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 3:45am

    Unions kill businesses, it has been proven over and over and over.

    Successful businesses are not unionized the ones at he bottom of the pile are.

    Report Post » DrammyCoke  
    • independentvoteril
      Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:38pm

      The only unions I agree with are the ones where someone other than the owners (be they cities, states or private) has to be involved to make sure the safety of the employee and public are watched.. Like a cop working 2 shifts for a prolonged period of time would not make the same judgment call as one who hadn’t work all those hours..or jobs where overworked workers could make a mistake that would make a city BLOW UP.. among those are NOT teachers.. postal workers.. clerks at city,state or federal offices.. truck drivers.. auto workers..hotel maids.. waitresses.. etc..

      Report Post » independentvoteril  
  • TruthHurts
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 3:14am

    Union Members, remember, by law, you CAN opt out of having them use your dues to further their political cause. If you don‘t agree with your Union leadership’s use of any funds that are non-chargeable, you can request a rebate of that part of your dues. This was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1988 by the case of the Communication Workers of America v. Beck, in which the Court declared that employees forced to pay union dues under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) do not have to contribute to a union’s partisan political activities. Your Union won’t tell you this, but you do need to know.

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    • BoilitDown
      Posted on September 8, 2010 at 6:03am

      I wish that I’d have discovered this when I was paying union dues. How can we make this more widely known?
      Incidently, I live in a town that was gutted by unions resulting in the loss of three large manufacturers. We have lost about 19% of our population.

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    • Born2Run
      Posted on September 8, 2010 at 9:39am

      You have to be a “non-member” of the union first.

      http://www.nrtw.org/a/a_4_p.htm

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    • independentvoteril
      Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:29pm

      OK LEGALLY you can do this HOWEVER.. if you have a family and want to keep your job NOT a good plan.. my son-in-law belonged to the teamsters.. he worked for a distributor for Miller belonged to the UNION when they came to the guys telling them they need them to sign a paper to take MORE than their dues out to support OBAMA my son-in-law said NO..and didn’t sign.. Since my son-in-law is MEXICAN but doesn’t speak a word of Spanish they kept giving him illegals that spoke nor understood ENGLISH.. when he complained his UNION did NOTHING..

      Report Post » independentvoteril  
  • spikebu
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 2:08am

    Unions were necessary at one time. Not any more. The Unions have helped to bankrupt our country in a big way. The Unions have become The Sopranos of our generation. Why do people still pay them?

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  • onephoneman
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:48am

    I am a union worker and i hate what they are doing here! I work for CWA in ca!

    Report Post »  
    • spikebu
      Posted on September 8, 2010 at 2:22am

      Not in a Union state and don‘t understand why you just don’t say no. If I were paying money to an org that was putting my money toward something I didn’t agree with, I’d quit paying.

      Report Post »  
    • texasderek
      Posted on September 8, 2010 at 12:57pm

      I quit the CWA about 3 months ago. Was a total waste of money on my part and joining the union in the first place went against what I was taught but I had a slick talking friend who convinced me to join… Now I am going to convince him to quit !!!

      Report Post » texasderek  
    • Docrow
      Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:21pm

      If I understand correctly even if you choose not to be in a union you still have to pay union dues. I think with the union leaders (not the working person) it’s only about the money and control.

      Report Post » Docrow  
    • independentvoteril
      Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:23pm

      Here’s how it works.. you get a job.. sometimes the UNION is already there.. you pay dues..than the union takes your money and does whatever it wants with it.. NOW if you don’t want to belong to the Union fine however if you still want your job YOU PAY DUES..and just don’t join in the meetings etc.. Now if you belong to a UNION you can only work at UNION companies..Now if you get LAID off of a union job while belonging to the union YOU HAVE to pay dues while you are laid off..or out of your first check when you get called back.. also while laid off you CAN NOT take jobs at NON UNION companies..nor are you allowed to work on side jobs while a UNION member..ie an electrician can not wire a friend or family members house.. NOT all UNIONS are like SEIU and AFLCIO which are FEDERAL WORKERS (mostly).. and some are NOT in charge of their workers pensions..etc.. the companies the members work for do that and the unions just make sure that management and labor are on the same page like with safety.. breaks etc.. BTW.. many union members belong to T.EA. parties and actually support GLENN..

      Report Post » independentvoteril  
    • Doc_Slammin
      Posted on September 8, 2010 at 10:43pm

      Dittos my brother — from UAW Local 2209. This is completely wrong.

      Report Post » Doc_Slammin  
  • rocktruth
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:47am

    Unions are very desperate and out of touch.

    Stop the Unions and rebuild the American work force!
    Stop sending our jobs over seas!
    Buy American!

    Report Post » rocktruth  
  • wj35
    Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:20am

    They can push it all they want but I don’t think these “Unions”will get anything they want

    Maybe these “Unions” would be happy if “Soviet” was in front of Union to help describe what they really want

    Report Post »  

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