WASHINGTON The National Restaurant Association has joined the National Council of Chain Restaurants and the American Hospitality & Lodging Association and other trade groups and business in condemning proposed legislation to make it easer for workers to join unions.
The Employee Free Choice Act, introduced in the House this week by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., would allow workers to unionized by simply signing a card or petition stating their interest in joining the union, as opposed to holding secret-ballot elections.
Steve Anderson, out-going chief executive and president of the NRA, said the proposed bill would violate employees’ privacy by eliminating secret ballots and using a so called “card-check” system that allows workers signatures to be made public employer, the union organizers and co-workers.
Secret ballots are needed to protect employees from intimidation and overt coercion, Anderson said.
Proponents of the legislation, including the AFL-CIO, have argued the card-check system would protect employees from intimidating tactics by anti-union employers.
Sen. Ted Kenney was also expected to introduce a similar bill in the Senate.
