AFL-CIO, SEIU attack McDonald's stance on labor law

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=32178

By: David Sterrett Dec. 10, 2008

(Crain’s) — Two of America’s largest unions have denounced McDonald’s Corp. this week following Crain’s story that the company is mobilizing franchisees against a law designed to make it easier for workers to unionize.

The Service Employee International Union encouraged its 1.8 million members to send letters to McDonald’s in support of the proposed Employee Free Choice Act. The AFL-CIO issued a press release saying it “plans to make sure the 10 million working men and women who make up our membership know that McDonald’s has just announced a whopper of a campaign against their economic interests and against their hopes for an economy that works for all, not just for the CEOs.”

McDonald’s USA President Don Thompson urged 2,400 franchisees to “contact your U.S. senators and representatives to oppose” the Employee Free Choice Act in a Nov. 25 memo obtained by Crain’s. He also wrote that McDonald’s formed a “response team” to help franchisees “actively participate in the opposition to the EFCA.”

The EFCA, or “card-check” bill, would enable unions to organize a workplace by obtaining the signatures of a majority of workers on authorization cards. Under current law, employers may require secret ballots. In addition, the legislation would establish a bargaining process that could lead to binding arbitration for labor contracts. President-elect Barack Obama supports the bill.

Unions have had little presence in the fast-food industry in the past 25 years. The bill threatens to raise labor costs and change work practices in the kitchens, according to industry officials.

FULL story at link.

Imagine driving up to the window and asking the cashier to sign a card check!

[ben_meyers]

1. Please explain what is wrong with a secret ballot.

I must be missing something about this argument.