Soviet Unions

IBD Editorials ^ | November 6, 2008

[Kaslin]

Economy: Wal-Mart expects a "blockbuster" holiday season, but with Democrats in full control of the levers of government in Washington, this might be its last.

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Unions, still giddy over putting their man in the White House and consolidating Democrat power in Congress, see 2009 as a year of effort-free labor organization.

Expect them to push for quick passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Also called card-check legislation, the bill would eliminate secret ballots and allow unions to be certified when a majority of employees sign the cards now used to gauge interest in voting on union participation.

Big Labor, which spent more than $53 million in the just-finished election cycle to get Democrats elected, shouldn't have to work hard. The Democratic Congress will be eager to pass the bill, and the Democratic president will be pleased to sign it.

At present, workers vote by secret ballot in union organizing elections to keep coercion to a minimum. But under the card-check system, the potential for intimidation is limitless. Pressure to sign by union organizers could wilt even the strongest man who doesn't want to be a member of the collective.

[henkster]

0bama’s exlir of social, fiscal & economic policies will be the most toxic poison ever concocted for any economy.

[pnh102]

Wal-Mart isn't going to be touched by unions even if card check passes.

No offense to any Wal-Mart employees here, but most of the jobs at Wal-Mart do not fall under the category of skilled labor. The replacement cost of the average Wal-Mart employee is very low. It would be very easy for Wal-Mart to fire striking workers and replace them with non-union people. Furthermore, Wal-Mart can and has closed entire stores and eliminated company-wide positions in response to union encroachment.

[truthluva]

This legislation has to be defeated. Not jus for the sake of Walmart...but for every company. It flies in the face of the American way.

[alex]

Union fool themselves thinking that they are controlling the Dims.

The reality is quite different: Dims are controlled by enviro-panks who are cleverly use unions as a ram to bankrupt all US manufactures in order to preserve the environment.

Once the manufactures are out, the unions will be out too.

[truthluva]

If the answer to union thugs is to close your doors then the unions are putting you out of business anyway.

[factoryrat]

We could be looking looking at he beginning of government backed unions, where union rules carry the force of law. And it will begin in the trade unions.

[pnh102]

If the answer to union thugs is to close your doors then the unions are putting you out of business anyway.

This has been the response. Businesses simply move to more business-friendly locales. But even if the business goes under the union still starves.

[southernerwithanattitude]

I still don’t see an advantage for the unions with this bill. If it is not a secret ballot the company knows who voted for it also. Then if the vote fails the company can fire anyone who voted yes {of course they cant fire them for the vote but they can come up with some other reason}

I don’t see this as a pro-union bill.

[bruinbirdman]

"0bama’s exlir of social, fiscal & economic policies will be the most toxic poison ever concocted for any economy."

In B. Hussein Omnotacapitalist's world there is only one union, The State.

yitbos

[mozarky2]

Card check will never pass-remember where you heard it first.

[Tublecane]

“It would be very easy for Wal-Mart to fire striking workers and replace them with non-union people.”

That would all depend on whether the government still allows unions to use violence and flagrantly violate property rights. As for store-closing, I’ll admit that is a tactical checkmate. But how many stores can they afford to shut down?

[Hop A Long Cassidy]

Before/After the increase in labor costs resulting from Il Duce, wouldn’t the marginal employers be the first to layoff? These employers would not be able to pass on costs, so they lay off quickly. And these employers would probably be in the areas where employment is really needed.

The first round of jobs being laid off would be the low value ones that could easily be hired back or their duties foisted off easily on remaining workers.

It looks like smaller self-service stores may be in our future.

Is there guaranteed employment envisioned? That works well in Europe (raises the unemployment rate quite handily).