An interesting point of view from the founder of big box store Home Depot, Bernie Marcus, explaining how enforcing labor law will lead to the ruin of America....I'm not sure how many houses Bernie owns, but in my neighborhood America is already in economic ruin, despite the long decline of unions.  

I think the path to economic ruin was caused by the declining wages from Americans competing globally against workers in the third world.  Big boxers like Walmart and Home Depot also helped kill a lot of small businesses and entrepreneurs, with their unfair advantage in beating down employees by abusing labor law.  Beating down suppliers is okay, but keeping your labor costs low through illegal means isn't.  Plus the bulk of the customers for small biz are the middle class.  They need fair wages.

Would enforcing labor rights help America back track from the path to Economic Ruin?  Maybe.  When unions were the strongest in the late 1950's the middle class was thriving.  CEO's like Bernie only made about 20 times the average workers salary back then, so maybe not so much from his perspective.  Today CEO's rake in 200x the average salary!

I'm amazed at the amount of negative press in the Wall Street Journal and other pro-business rags against the Employee Free Choice Act.  Today, the founder of famed big box store Home Depot speaks out with his op-ed Bad Labor Law Is a Path to Economic Ruin in the WSJ.  A couple of weeks ago big boxer Wal-Mart raised the alarm and started holding mandatory meetings for all managers and supervisors warning about the EFCA, which will add penalties for violating the 71 year old National Labor Relations Act.  

One thing Wal-Mart and Home Depot have in common is that they have utilized their humongous size to run Mom and Pop stores out of business.  In addition to beating down suppliers on price, they also have an unfair advantage in beating down employees who might otherwise seek better wages and benefits.  Mom and Pop don't worry about Federal Labor Law, because they don't have sufficient employees to fall under the National Labor Relations Act.  
<more over the fold>

The Chamber of Commerce and Right-wing attack machine is in full court press against the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill with bipartisan support which would add penalties for wide-spread violations of the right of employees to join together.

The extreme Right objects to a provision of the EFCA dealing with "card check" procedures, a method of showing majority support for a union that was ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court in 1969.  Currently an employer can challenge a "card-check" election for no cause.  The Employee Free Choice Act would require illegal coercion or another cause before an employer could challenge the results of an election.

Chambers of Commerce and GOP'ers like Presidential hopeful John McCain say that card check organizing doesn't resemble American Democracy and insist that secret ballot elections are necessary to ensure workers have a democratic right to vote like in normal U.S. elections.  

Ignoring for a moment that U.S. employees do not have the same rights at work that they have as citizens, lets give the GOP the benefit of the doubt and make union elections more democratic by simply holding secret ballot elections for employee organization on an annual basis.

Its so rare for traditional media to analyze anything, so Kudos and Diggs to Raj Cohan of CBS Denver for challenging this anti-employee rights scare ad:

Ad: What if labor bosses controlled class elections. Thanks for your vote. I want to assure you that a vote for me is best for you. Ms. Hudgens has just agreed that there isn't gonna be any secret vote. Sign these cards showing us who you like the best, and my campaign committee will collect and count em.

Here's the spin. The ad attacks legislation in Congress called the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). If approved, it would amend the National Labor Relations Act to make it easier for unions to organize. How would it work? If a simple majority of workers sign cards saying they want a union, EFCA would essentially require the National Labor Relations Board to certify the union, assuming there was no illegal coercion involved in gathering the signatures. Under these circumstances employers would be barred from demanding a secret vote.

http://cbs4denver.com/...

Getting cheap oil is real simple economics, which of course Bush and his lapdog McCain will never understand.

Econ 101:
Low Supply + High Demand = High Prices
Low Supply + Reduced Demand = Reduced Prices
High Supply + Low Demand = Low Prices

You want oil cheap fast?  Reduce consumption.

A gas tax raises consumption, which is why McCain is an economic idiot.
Exploring for oil won't lower prices now, and it won't lower it in the future because consumption will continue to grow, which is why Bush and McCain are economic idiots.

A President with some leadership ability would ask the American people to sacrifice a bit and slow down on the freeway.  Driving 55 mph saves a lot of gas, especially if you've got a big SUV.

A President with some real leadership wouldn't ask to reduce gas taxes for a few cents of savings.  He would add a $100 penalty for any American that can't stay under the legal speed limit of 65.

If you're driving your Hummer 85 mph, not only are you wasting a ton of gas but somewhere there is a veteran missing a leg because he was sent to fight for your cheap gas and his Hummer had less armour protection than yours.

So pay an extra $100 for speeding and help fund the VA hospitals.  And slow down too!

More scary PR from the Union Busting industry below on labor reform coming from Dems.  Although the PR doesn't say it, most Small Businesses are exempt from Federal Labor law, and ALL Small Businesses would be exempt if Congress adjusted the NLRB's 1959 interstate trade threshold of $500,000 to an inflation adjusted $3.1 Million.  

Mom and pop shops can't afford anti-union lawyers, and tend to play by the rules.  The union busters, chambers of commerce, and the GOP aren't trying to protect "small business."  Their neglect to adjust the $500K exemption proves it.  Big Business are the ones who want to keep $0 penalties for labor law violations, but they also want the support of small business owners by putting more of them under Federal jurisdiction.

The Employee Free Choice Act adds penalties for firing union supporters.  It also levels the playing field for small business as well as law-abiding big businesses against scofflaw corporations.

The unionbusters PR over the fold...

Here's a press release from some attorneys who are worried about the Employee Free Choice Act crippling their industry.  Union busting strategies are built around the premise of $0 penalties for labor violations and prolonging contract negotiations indefinately until employees give up and leave.  By adding fines for harrassing or firing union supporters, the EFCA would make it too expensive to violate the law, and it wouldn't be cost effective to hire expensive union busters.  

Sen. Obama vowed to stand by re-elected SEIU president Andy Stern and union members by ushering in a union- friendly administration. He also vowed to pass the Employee Free Choice Act if elected to presidential office.
...
Founded in 1958, Jackson Lewis LLP is dedicated to representing management exclusively in workplace law. With offices in 37 cities and 500 attorneys, Jackson Lewis has developed a specialized expertise in every aspect of employment, labor, benefits and immigration law. Additional information about Jackson Lewis LLP can be found at www.jacksonlewis.com .
http://newsblaze.com/...

A couple of articles continue to perpetuate a GOP lie which might undo some Democrats.  

Maine has been targeted because of the expected Senate race between Representative Tom Allen (D-Maine) and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine).  They are on opposite sides of "The Employee Free Choice Act."
http://www.wcsh6.com/...

This is in the boring details of labor law, but the truth usually is a sleeper compared to a good scary lie.  As Forbes says, "Who's afraid of a little organized labor? U.S. business, that's who."

The scary lie:  Democrats want to eliminate secret ballot elections for union elections.

The boring truth:  The Employee Free Choice Act does not change current labor law regarding secret ballots and majority card check.

From the GOP dominated National Association of Manufacturers

Card Check: Secret Ballots As a Campaign Issue
We've commented before that support of the Employee Free Choice Act is a losing issue in general election campaigns because most Americans will recoil from the idea of eliminating secret ballots in the workplace. Polling conducted for the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace indicates as much.
http://blog.nam.org/...

To clarify for "most Americans", current labor law requires a secret ballot election if over 30% of employees have signed a statement saying they want to be represented by a union.  If over 50% have signed a statement, the Labor Board considers a secret election superfluous since majority rules in a democracy.  

The Employee Free Choice Act doesn't change the process of majority rules.  What it does is add penalties for illegally harrassing and firing union supporters.

As a small biz that supports Obama, I had to resign from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, which gave 96% of campaign contributions to the GOP.  The US Chamber of Commerce, also plans to spend $60 Million to defeat Obama or Clinton.  

US News and World Report recently reported on a group called  the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council opposing the Employee Free Choice Act, which both Obama and Clinton support.  

Most Small Business Orgs oppose enforcing labor rights despite the fact that 3/4 of ALL businesses have NO employees, and 97% of those with employees are so small that you can feed the office with less than 2 dozen donuts.  Hardly the faceless environment where workers lack a voice.

Under the Bush Administration Big Business has been given open season to violate the rights of their employees.  Senator John McCain wishes to codify the rights of Employers to make it easier to destroy any employee unity that might raise wages or benefits and take money away from executive bonuses and corporate profits.

The controversy between McCain and Obama, and Small Businesses and Big Businesses, revolves around the enforcement of employee labor rights.  The vast majority of small businesses have less than 3 employees and insufficent interstate commerce to fall under Federal Labor Regulations, so any enforcement of labor law only ensures that the big business competitors of small biz follows the law.

Obama supports enforcement of existing labor law by adding penalties with the Employee Free Choice Act.  McCain opposes adding penalties and wants to take away the current method of employee organizing by majority card check with the Secret Ballot Protection Act.  

The Daily Kos Tries to Correct my latest op-ed at Fox News
You can see the discussion of my latest Fox News op-ed on the Daily Kos here. Bold italics is from my article. Italics is from the Daily Kos comments.

http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/...

Wow!  I feel so empowered!  I represent all of Daily Kos to the far Right anti-labor gang!  Exciting, but not quite true.  I'm just a small business capitalist that wants to see labor law upheld to keep my competitors like Wal-Mart honest.  I responded to the scare tactics of this op-ed:Secret Ballots May End in Union Elections If Obama Becomes President

Hi Kossacks,
I just saw the US New and World Report story on the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council opposing the Employee Free Choice Act, which both Obama and Clinton support.

Although most small businesses don't fall under the federal jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Act, there seems to be a lot of fear-mongering from the Right Wing about the EFCA.

I'm wondering how many small businesses support Obama or Clinton and don't mind the enforcement of labor law for businesses that are large enough to fall under Federal jurisdiction.

The criteria for the NLRB to hear a organizing case:
3 employees, that aren't managers or supervisors.
Over $500,000 in interstate commerce.
A violation of the National Labor Relations Act.

If you are a law-abiding small business that supports the enforcement of labor law for larger businesses and your competitors send me a line at info(at)agilepeople.org   I'd like to send out a press release in support of Obama and the Employee Free Choice Act to counterbalance the SBE and other GOP business groups that oppose Democrats.

Oh Lord, Fox News is standing up for the rights of employees....better get out the BS detector....

Secret Ballots May End in Union Elections If Obama Becomes President
Monday, May 19, 2008
By John R. Lott, Jr.
http://www.foxnews.com/...

Ok, the headline is actually one of the most truthful and revealing things Fox has ever published.  Currently most secret ballots don't end in a union being elected; they end in a challenge from the employer, mandatory anti-union meetings, and illegal intimidation and firing of union supporters.  Fox and the GOP fear that under Obama, secret ballots may result in a union actually being elected.  With Bush, or McCain, new unions aren't a possibility.  

After the headline, the article becomes misleading and resorts to scare tactics.

"We're all tainted by the millions and millions of dollars that were contributed by Enron executives," John McCain told CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday. McCain then acknowledged receiving $9,500 from Enron in two campaigns.

http://www.time.com/...

McCain took Enron's money because he is a fairly poor individual earning just $405,000, much less than Barack and Michelle Obama who earned over $4 million last year.  Of course, Barack's wife doesn't loan him the family jet for campaigning since they don't own one.  McCain's wife Cindy, who's tax returns are "confidential", has a fortune estimated at $100 million and loaned John the jet regularly.  If you look at McCain's family wealth, he is in the top 1% of Senators, making the other 99 Senators poor in comparison.

Obama, by the way, is not tainted by Enron, since he wasn't in the Senate to receive the handouts.  His campaign funding comes mostly from small contributors like you and me.  That's what inspires me to believe in his ability to enact reform.  He isn't tainted.

Obama's speech below:

Union membership is one of the strongest determinants for a voter choosing a Democratic ballot.  If elected, Barack Obama would undo the damage Bush has done to labor rights by appointing new members to the National Labor Relations Board....ones that would actually enforce the law.  

Imagine if Americans had a fair chance to organize at work.  Not only could they negotiate wages and benefits for themselves, but they could rally around Democratic candidates.

Greg Tarpinian, a Change to Win organizer who spoke at the Take Back America panel, said "If union membership was 10 percent in Ohio in 2004, John Kerry would be president."
Reason Magazine: Union Rules

Someone other than Bush as our President?  That's a strong arguement for unions!  However, this "good for Labor=good for Democrats" analysis comes from Reason Magazine, which is pro-management and anti-labor.  See how they use scare tactics to describe a labor rights bill that Obama cosponsored, the Employee Free Choice Act. (over the fold)

"They came for the steel companies and nobody said anything. They came for the auto companies and nobody said anything. They came for the office companies, people who did white-collar service jobs, and no one said anything. And they came for the professional jobs that could be outsourced, and nobody said anything."- Hillary Clinton
http://www.nytimes.com/...

WTF?  Maybe Clinton hasn't been listening.  This has been a constant refrain of organized labor.  When it came time for the Senate to vote for the right of employees to stand up against low wages, declining benefits, and outsourcing, Clinton didn't say anything, but Obama did:

In order to restore a sense of shared prosperity and security, we need to help working Americans exercise their right to organize under a fair and free process and bargain for their fair share of the wealth our country creates. -Barack Obama
http://frwebgate4.access.gpo.gov/...

A few months ago I pledged to give my donation to the Democratic Party when the superdelegates confirm Obama as the party's candidate.  I'm breaking that pledge because of the pandering to voters by McCain and Clinton on the Gas Tax.  Yes, taking a Republican stand on decreasing taxes and increasing the deficit is great politics and smart of Clinton.  

I prefer real initiatives that have a prayer of being passed and will help the economy, not spur consumption of gasoline in a time when we should encourage conservation and use of mass transit....so heres my projected savings ($25) to Obama, right now.

Send the gas tax to local mass transit for a spare the air day and free rides on buses....maybe I'd go for that.  Give it to the consumers of the gas, rather than discourage consumption.  That's a non-starter though it makes a great sound bite.

Go Obama!