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Arizona Labor Event

June 8th, 2007 Posted by Amelia

The U.S. Secretary of Labor, Elaine L. Chao, recently addressed a group of women in the construction trade, with consequences for women in the industry across the nation. Chao appeared at the Augusta, Maine annual trade show for the National Association of Women in Construction.

The purpose of the event is to honor women in the construction trade, and to encourage more women to become contractors or construction workers.

Secretary Chao is the first Asian American woman to serve as a cabinet secretary. Chao used the appearance to flog one of her favorite causes, the defeat of the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as H.R. 800 in the House and S.1041 in the Senate. The pending bill would streamline voting in unionization elections, making it easier for employees to vote a union in. Under this new bill, if 51% of workers completed signature cards in favor of a union, the usually secret balloting would be eliminated and the employees would automatically be represented by a union.

Critics argue that Chao’s stance, which echoes that of the Bush Administration, is anti-union. According to Chao, “This administration is fighting to protect workers’ access to private ballot elections.” The Secretary adds, “A worker’s right to a private ballot election is fundamental in our democracy and should not be legislated away by special interest groups.” Chao added, “Congress is on the verge of passing a bill that effectively takes away a worker’s ability to vote on unionization in a private ballot election.”

Under the proposed legislation, if a majority of workers signed cards in favor of unionizing, no private ballot would be required. Under the bill, as long as 50% of the employees plus one worker present signature cards, the union is automatically accepted. Under the bills, the decertification of a union would still require a private ballot election. The bill also increases employer penalties and changes the collective bargaining laws, according to Chao.

“Equally troubling is the mandatory binding arbitration provision that takes freedom out of ‘free’ collective bargaining in newly unionized workplaces,” Chao said. “If a labor contract was not agreed to within the congressionally-dictated 120-day timetable, the federal government would force a two-year labor contract on workers and employers. Workers would not have any right to ratify, or not ratify, the contract.”