NLRB continues its crusade to unionize America
Fresh off its decision to ask an administrative law judge to stop Boeing's move to step up production in South Carolina because Boeing cited its wish to lower the risk of suffering more strikes, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is stepping up its game.
Now Obama's NLRB is planning on suing two states, Arizona and South Dakota, seeking to invalidate those states' constitutional amendments that prohibit card check. This is just the latest step in Obama's campaign to reward and empower unions (and their campaign piggy banks) at the expense of jobs and growth (see "Unions Still in the Driver's Seat" for a partial list)
The New York Times reports:
The Arizona and South Dakota constitutional amendments were promoted by various conservative groups worried that Congressional Democrats would pass legislation allowing unions to insist on using card check in organizing drives, meaning that an employer would have to recognize a union as soon as a majority of workers signed pro-union cards. Under current law, private sector employers can insist that secret ballots be used when unions are trying to organize.
Unions like card check because the public voting allows them to see who supports unionizing and who does not. This transparency pressures workers to support union drives since their opinions will be public.
President Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress failed to push card check legislation through Congress and with Republicans in control of the House realize they have to work around Congress to push through its agenda. This was the recommendation offered by the George Soros-funded Center for American Progress (CAP) after the turnover in the House.
CAP gave Obama his marching orders and suggested a range of actions (executive orders, rules and regulations, administrative moves, personnel appointments) that President Obama should use to circumvent Congress.
Obama has used a recess appointment at the NLRB to put on its panel Craig Becker, a lawyer who worked for the politically powerful and aggressive, Service Employees International Union. Becker faced resistance and his appointment would likely have been rejected by Congress. Becker has a history of left-wing activism on behalf of Big Labor and he has remained true to form.
This is another sign that the Obama administration has scant regard for the concept of federalism or the separation of powers enshrined in our Constitution. After the people voted in 2010 to restore some balance in Congress by making the House glow red, Obama decided to ignore the will of the people. States oppose card check because unions kill jobs and growth. Right-to-work states, for example, grow faster than those states who do not have that law on the books. Card check is another way to empower unions - who have suffered declines in membership - and enrich union leaders who then channel donations to Democrats. But Obama's move also shows a disregard for the importance of democracy.
Tom Horne, Arizona's Attorney General, seems to have a greater appreciation of the Constitution than our part-time Constitutional Law lecturer (and oh...how he does love to lecture):
In an interview, Tom Horne, Arizona's attorney general, criticized the board's planned suit, saying, "I find it shocking that they do not believe in the fundamental principle of democracy that people have a right to a secret ballot.
Horne realizes that Obama and company do not really believe in democracy.
Do other people?