The American Spectator : Card Check's Bounce

Text Size

Card Check's Bounce

By Doug Bandow on 3.10.09 @ 6:07AM

Another looming threat to our economic freedom.

(Page 2 of 2)

The first result would be to further immobilize the economy. Although some individual employees -- and especially union leaders -- might benefit from today's coercive collective bargaining process, a new study by Stan Greer of the National Institute for Labor Relations Research found: "The record shows that the prevalence of union monopoly bargaining is correlated with lower real incomes, higher living costs, slower growth in jobs and job benefits, and higher unemployment." Similarly, economists Richard Vedder and Lowell Gallaway pointed out that "the overall evidence is overwhelming that labor unions in contemporary America have had harmful aggregate effects on the economy. Unions are associated with lower rates of growth in incomes and jobs." The Alliance to Save Main Street Jobs warns of an employment loss of 600,000 if card check passes.

Indeed, turning control of the economy over to organized labor would follow Europe, which values stasis over growth. The organizing principle of most European labor organizations is a sense of entitlement: someone somewhere should pay them for doing as little as possible. This system may be the principle reason that Europe went for years without creating a single net job. Flexible and vibrant are not terms anyone would apply to the European economy.

The second result would be to expand government authority over the economy and virtually every other aspect of our lives. Organized labor spent up to a half billion dollars in the 2008 election cycle. Government unions, most notably the Service Employees International Union, have become particularly dependent on government largesse. The SEIU invested nearly $2 million in Rod Blagojevich's two gubernatorial campaigns and was caught up in the federal investigation of the former Illinois governor's apparent desire to auction off Barack Obama's Senate seat. Union officials see politics as an easy means to get benefits that they cannot win in a marketplace.

But union activists want to do more than win more money for their members. Unfortunately, the labor leadership seems to see itself not as the representative of working men and women, but as a partner in the liberal coalition. Thus, unions have been leading efforts to block policy reforms that would most benefit their members: provide families with choice in education, expand consumer-directed health care, offer retirees control over their own futures, increase access to new energy sources, expand participation in the international marketplace, reduce income redistribution programs, limit baseless lawsuits filed by trial attorneys, and so on.

Above all, it is imperative to ensure that workers retain the right to vote before the government requires companies to recognize a union. That means defeating the Employee "No Choice" Act. It also means pressing for state constitutional amendments guaranteeing elections, as promoted by the group Save Our Secret Ballot, chaired by former Rep. Ernest Istook. And contracts must be arrived at through negotiation, not imposition.

It is bad enough that card check would in fact deny workers a free choice about whether to unionize. But if it passes, ECFA would end up denying the rest of us a free choice about many of the economic decisions that we still take for granted.

Page: < 12

topics:
Economics, Unions, Democratic Party

About the Author

Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and the Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway).

Letter to the Editor View all comments (29) | Leave a comment

frost| 3.10.09 @ 7:28AM

Fine analysis. I read somewhere that unions are for people that want more than what their worth. And those afraid to seek jobs where their real worth (or the lack thereof) is the determining factor as to what they’re paid.
Fact is, in the present neo-Marxist climate, businesses are going to have a hard enough time staying in business without an expensive union telling them how to run their operation.
Truth is, union workers are incapable of producing quality because they work for the union, not the company.
And they're hypocrites.

frost| 3.10.09 @ 7:35AM

Another quick point - - a lot of years ago, 1960, in fact, I bought a new BMW coupe (long before they were trendy, a fad, or called a Beemer) -- worst car I ever owned! But, one of the reasons I bought an imported car was because the Union Chief Walter Ruther was so anti-American and pro-Soviet in his socialistic stance, at the time I refused to buy an American car.
And now we have similar types as very good-buddies with the president (can you say convicted terrorist William Ayres?).
Whew!

stu.b.con| 3.10.09 @ 7:51AM

Even that old liberal warhorse George McGovern has come out against this egregious personal liberty grab.

Eric Baum| 3.10.09 @ 10:23AM

In my view, the worst aspect of card check would be to greatly discourage investment. Remember when foreign car companies came over and built factories in right to work states? Say bye to those investments, when union bosses would essentially have a right to loot the investments.

I think the possibility of card check is looming over the Dow, and if it passes I look for a further plunge. If it is finally defeated, I look for positive move.

Eric Baum| 3.10.09 @ 10:26AM

BTW, I have various investments. Some of them may be in the Dow.

Tom| 3.10.09 @ 11:32AM

Other union doings. Living wage. every so often congress raises the minimum wage. That automatically gives union workers a raise.
Another one is union dues. My son-in-law elected not to belong to a union local. New an equal amount of what would be union dues is deducted for charity.
Yes we live in a free country, bull.

Marc Jeric| 3.10.09 @ 12:09PM

There are two inescapable and immutable laws concerning unions, viz.:
1) given enough time any union will be taken over by either a criminal organization, say mafia, or a revolutionary marxist group;
2) union will eventually destroy the industry where it prevails; examples abound - steel, automobile, textile, apparel, electronics, etc.
3) such destroyed industries will try to save themselves by going elsewhere; that is called outsourcing;
4) government employee unions will also destroy whatever they are engaged in - say schools, where now 45% of teachers "teach" and 55% "administer, facilitate, organize, plan, etc," and of course engage in politics. Other such unions in government provide a safe haven for rejects of private enterprise and have "work rules". For example, it is forbidden to a supervisor to request a deadline for any work; e.g., one must not ask a secretary to type up a one-page memo for a meeting one week hence.

Rick| 3.10.09 @ 9:15PM

"...someone somewhere should pay them for doing as little as possible..."
That sums up the entitlement attitude that pervaded my workplace's recent union drive.

MassArtMom| 3.12.09 @ 5:03PM

Unfortunately, cultures change (and not for the better) when unionized workers and management live together under the same roof. This is unfortunate and entirely the fault of management. If management was fair to its workers, unionizing would not be an issue. Over the last decade astronomical profits and bonuses have soared and sadly, the workers in the trenches (the ones who actually "do" the work and make the profits) have remained stagnant. Raises have not kept up with the cost of living, inflation, etc. To equate unionization with the Mafia is just another old scare tactic used by management. Sheesh! How obvious can you get?!

hgfhfg| 11.26.09 @ 9:55PM

Mac TOD Converter,
TOD Converter for Windows

FREE| 1.10.10 @ 10:05PM

FLV Converter Mac

FLV Converter for Mac

azdirici| 9.2.10 @ 2:59AM

One of the most important goals of the Obama program is to strengthen labor unions. Explained the president: "I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem. To me, it's part of the solution." Of course more powerful unions would make it easier for him to push through the rest of his policy agenda. That's why he is backing the "card check" bill, which makes it a battle to control the entire economy.

rechie| 10.24.11 @ 10:39AM

Very inspiring and mind blowing site!

yanyan| 10.10.11 @ 2:45PM

Well, this is my first visit to your blog. And I feel great here. I like your blog and content here. Keep on posting such an interesting post.mesothelioma attorneys

balcuizar62| 10.12.11 @ 10:26PM

This blog has so much Great information in it that i could spend all week reading it.Just want to say what a great blog you got here!Thanks for the information.
yaz class action

ruth| 10.17.11 @ 11:33AM

You got a really useful blog I have been here reading for about an hour. I am a newbie and your success is very much an inspiration for me.

silver spot price

fiance visa| 10.18.11 @ 1:07AM

I certainly enjoyed the way you explore your experience and knowledge of the subject! Keep up on it. Thanks for sharing the info

fiance visa

creamer| 10.19.11 @ 10:03PM

I wanted to thank you for this excellent read!! I definitely loved every little bit of it.
Actos Lawyer

abominable putridity| 11.5.11 @ 8:36AM

I really love how it's easy on my eyes and the facts are well written.

L Tod Schlosser

PIERCE| 11.8.11 @ 3:50AM

No matter what keep up to date the good work I was impressed together with your content really.

filipina women

craige| 11.11.11 @ 2:54AM

i just look at the pictures it shows how dedicated they are on working..i love the boat they made..thanks for posting this..it reminds me of my family.

paxil lawsuit

bogol| 11.16.11 @ 1:47PM

This is a really good read for me. Must admit that you are one of the best bloggers I have ever read. Thanks for posting this informative article
Actos Lawyer

bogol| 11.28.11 @ 8:16AM

this is an amazing set of pictures. I am plannning to print it on my Tshirts. That will be awesome. Thanks again for efforts made to collate these pictures.

Paxil lawsuit

bogol| 11.30.11 @ 12:37PM

Wow! This blog looks just like my old one! It's on a completely different subject but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Outstanding choice of colors!

Lexapro Lawyer

bogol| 12.1.11 @ 8:51AM

Very effectively written information. Will probably be invaluable to anybody who usess it, including myself. Sustain the good work – for sure i'll take a look at extra posts.

mesothelioma lawyer

inah0911| 12.3.11 @ 9:31AM

You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something that I think I would never understand. I appreciate this blog...

asbestos lawyers

inah0911| 12.5.11 @ 1:17PM

I must say that overall I am really impressed with this blog.It is easy to see that you are impassioned about your writing. I wish I had got your ability to write. I look forward to more updates and will be returning.

san diego personal injury

inah0911| 12.6.11 @ 9:24AM

i'm extremely happy to check this original page! Your website seemed to be exceedingly incomparable as well as a must read!

san diego bankruptcy lawyer

IMYI| 12.15.11 @ 10:05PM

Excellent stuff from you, man. I’ve read your things before and you are just too awesome. I adore what you have got right here. You make it entertaining and you still manage to keep it smart.This is truly a great blog thanks for sharing

Medtronic Infuse Lawyer