HOUSE BILL: Prioritizing Our Workers' Employee Rights (POWER) Act (Passed)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Atlasian People's House of Representatives
Pending
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Sponsor: VPH
House Designation: HB 1147

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The sponsor has 24 hours to commence an advocacy for this bill. All other members shall have an additional 48 hours to respond with their initial comments, questions and concerns.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I am all in favor of increasing freedoms of workers and protecting them from abuse. However I am rather skeptical about card check. At present the decision to form a union is done with a secret ballot, which I think is far safer and secure in terms of the establishment process than something as open ended as card check.

Most of the problems, occur not with the selection method, but the campaign for or against and I worry that there would be intimidation by both employers and labor representatives, even with protections that would be hard to counter in the absence of a secret ballot.

As an alternative I think we could have some of the same regulations established to keep the process free of these unsavory practices, while at the same time still preserving the secret ballot.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I am all in favor of increasing freedoms of workers and protecting them from abuse. However I am rather skeptical about card check. At present the decision to form a union is done with a secret ballot, which I think is far safer and secure in terms of the establishment process than something as open ended as card check.

Most of the problems, occur not with the selection method, but the campaign for or against and I worry that there would be intimidation by both employers and labor representatives, even with protections that would be hard to counter in the absence of a secret ballot.

As an alternative I think we could have some of the same regulations established to keep the process free of these unsavory practices, while at the same time still preserving the secret ballot.

I think the secret ballot as a function of principle is a good idea, but the drawn out elections we often see for unions are where intimidation may happen from both sides. Making the process easier is a priority of mine.

Well like I said the selection method (secret ballot) is not the problem, the problem is that there is a long period, I guess it could be called "The campaign" phase to use lingo we are all familiar with, prior to the balloting and that is when the intimidation is occurring.

I like LT's idea. I think if you coupled that with an expedited campaign with a hard limit on the length of time and stiffer penalties for intimidation by either side, would solve the problem and not sacrifice a fundamental principle of democracy, the secret ballot.

Whether or not we think it is a good idea or not, or what people should be, at the end of the day this is a majority rule (democratic) process. We saw back prior to the mid to late 1800's the impact when people didn't have a secret ballot, and people could very well question the legitimacy of many elections during that period. It also made disenfranchisement and vote suppression a whole lot easier. I think it is therefore right to say that the secret ballot is the most democratic means of holding an election, and historically is less threatened or at risk by intimidation.

Yes when it comes to union selection we have intimidation occurring, there is little to no doubt about that. Yet we find ourselves seeing the removal of the secret ballot as the best solution to that problem? I think it is backwards and despite present day opposition to it, I think long term the ones who will most celebrate the removal of the secret ballot, are the employers, sweatshop owners and wage slavers.  

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I absolutely understand those concerns and would like to hear from more colleagues about the notion of "card check" that garners over 50% of employees resulting in an immediate election. I don't know what that time frame would have to be, but I would be willing to work on an amendment for this. At the same time though, we also need to ensure that the Department of Labor does not take years upon years to validate election results and that they cannot unnecessarily stall the workplace democracy process.

You could mandate the Dept act within X days. Of course when it comes to any department acting on anything, it becomes a matter of resource availability and funding as well.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Illiniwek and Peebs have just 24 hours left to talk.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Atlasian People's House of Representatives
Pending
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Sponsor Feedback: Origination
Status: Representatives have 24 hours to object.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

It's been a while since I was in Congress — has the amendment been adopted?

No it has not.

Not quite sure-I would assume because I sponsored the bill? Idk though

while I would just modify the text for minor changes, I think all substantive change should go through the normal process, even if the sponsor is the one offering the amendment.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This has an hour remaining.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The amendment has been adopted.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So are we ready to move to a final vote?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

A vote is now open on the underlying legislation, Representatives please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This has enough votes to pass, Representatives have 24 hours to change their votes.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Vote on Final Passage of the Prioritizing Our workers' Employee Rights (POWER) Act:

Aye (7): Harry's State Department, Haslam2020, Iliniwek, JGibson, LouisvilleThunder, NC Yankee and VPH
Nay (0):
Abstain (0):

Didn't Vote (2): Peebs and Rfayette.

With seven votes in the affirmative, the bill is adopted and sent to the VP and PPT.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Atlasian People's House of Representatives
Passed 7-0 in the Atlasian House Assembled,

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