AFL-CIO bullying Colorado on Dems’ 2008 convention

It stands to reason, based on the success of the far left of the dem party, getting the Nevada Dem Party to drop the debate to be aired on Fox, that the AFL-CIO would try and bully to have the Dem Convention moved out of Denever. Seems the union doesn't like that Gov. Bill Ritter vetoed a bill that would no longer permit secrect ballots when emplyees are voting to unionize or not. Since the dems have been in bed with big laober for decades, it will be interesting to see how they deal with this.

"WASHINGTON - National AFL officials seem determined to remove any remaining doubt in anybody’s mind that Gov. Bill Ritter did the right thing in February by vetoing Colorado House bill 1072. That hurriedly approved measure repealed a long-standing Colorado law requiring that, once a company’s employees approve a union, they have a second, secret-ballot vote on how dues will be assessed, with a 75 percent supermajority required for approval.

Why is the AFL-CIO so worried about an obscure Colorado bill? Because the vetoed measure was of a piece with the “Employee Free Choice Act of 2007” now being rushed through Congress by national Democrats, led by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif. That bill abolishes all secret ballot voting in union representation contests. Doing away with workers’ right to cast a secret ballot when voting on whether to unionize is the AFL-CIO’s top national priority because union leaders think it will help them reverse their decades-long slide in membership. Less than 10 percent of all private sector workers now belong to unions.

AFL-CIO officials say they will urge Democrats to move their 2008 national convention from Denver if Ritter doesn’t agree to sign a re-introduced version of 1072. Since a quarter of the delegates to a typical Democratic National Convention are union representatives, the AFL-CIO threat is not a hollow one for DNC officials. But the AFL-CIO’s threats against Ritter and Colorado workers shows exactly why secret ballots must be protected in all workplaces nationwide. Otherwise, workers will be exposed to endless threats and intimidation from thuggish union organizers."

What is it that scares big labor about secret ballots? Could it be it limits the amount of intimidation they can use? Their claims that companies can do the intimidation is bogus. Intimindating workers is a two way street. It will be interesting to see if the dems cave on this as well - Sailor

Editorial