Jeff Merkley advocates against secret ballot for workers

[Labor Pains press release]
Merkley Says Card Check is Needed
From Oregonians for Employee Freedom.

In a recent meeting with prospective voters, Jeff Merkley was asked about the Employee Free Choice Act and whether he felt that workers had the right to a private ballot in the workplace regarding whether or not they were unionized. The Employee Free Choice Act is of course, the mis-named legislation sponsored by unions in order to make it easier for them to organize workers against their will. In fact, the Employee Free Choice Act takes away a workers right to a private ballot in the workplace in favor of the “card check” system which would open employees up to threats, intimidation and coercion by their peers and union organizers.

Recent studies show that 94% of Oregonians believe that employees should have the right to vote on forming a union by a private ballot election where each individual’s vote is kept private. This is a fundamental American right and one that our country was founded on over 200 years ago.

Our elected officials, like Jeff Merkley, are voted on with a private ballot. In fact, in Oregon, we have the luxury of vote-by-mail giving us more time to understand the issues and the people who would represent us.

So why would Merkley support this legislation that takes away the rights of the workers he has purported to support and fight for in the workplace? Why would Merkley want to deny workers the right to a private ballot when every other American has the right to a private ballot?

Simple”¦money.

Jeff Merkley is being supported in large part by the big labor unions in Oregon and nationally because he has pledged to help pass the Employee Free Choice Act if he is elected to the U.S. Senate. Merkley already co-sponsored legislation in Oregon to take away public employee rights and it was passed by the Democrats in the Oregon Legislature.

Merkley clearly doesn’t care about individual workers and what will happen to them or the small businesses that employ them if this bill is passed. He only cares that the union bosses and their organizations are rewarded for contributing heavily to his faltering campaign.

The Employee Free Choice Act will cripple Oregon small businesses. It won’t help Oregon workers and it won’t grow our economy. It will only line the pockets of unions and union bosses with workers’ hard-earned dollars in the form of union dues which the union bosses will then use to support candidates like Merkley. Merkley rewards them for their contributions by passing legislation so that unions can organize more easily and the cycle continues.

In his response, Merkley says that the Employee Free Choice Act “is needed in America”. I think workers who don’t want to be threatened and intimidated into joining a union against their will would say otherwise.

### More information visit Labor Pains