Quote Originally Posted by CountArach View Post
Alright, can this be clarified for me - How can the Union be thuggish and intimidatory if, by definition, it doesn't actually exist yet?

Further, why would the Union do this?
Union, in answer to your first question, means organizing arms of existing national union organizations. That's what this is about; the existing unions want to make it much easier to organize other groups of workers.

Why? For money and power - the new union members pay fees to the national organizations that organized them. The fees mean more money for the union leaders and more political power.

So we're not talking about oppressed groups of workers banding together, but outside groups agitating to form unions so those national union groups can make more money. That's the reason behind the unionizing drives; money and power, not looking for workers to help.

Now, in relation to card check;
With this law, a union can be organized if a organizers get 50%+1 of the workers to sign cards indicating they want to join a union. Previously an employer could request a secret election for the employees to decide. So with card check the union knows everyone who has and has not signed. And another way this is different from an election, besides the secrecy, is that you can't simply say no once. The union can and will just keep asking until they get the signatures they need. You could say 'no' for fifty times in a row but you'll still count as a 'yes' if you sign the card after that.

I'll assume you can see the potential for abuse and pressure. It simply isn't a fair way to decide an issue. Currently, more people sign cards than vote yes for unionization in secret elections. The national union organizations know this and try to get a super majority (I've seen a figure of 75%) of people to sign cards before they try to get the new union formed (as the employer almost always asks for a secret election).

CR