"The Trib's "Obama's union sop" editorial (May 10 and TribLIVE.com) on union transparency, the Employee Free Choice Act and President Obama's commitment to both replaced fact with fiction.
First and foremost, the Obama administration is in no way pushing union transparency under the rug. We can now be confident that the Labor Department's Office of Labor-Management Standards is more balanced and will go after anyone who violates the law, no longer using political ideology to harass workers and their unions.
The Employee Free Choice Act would not eliminate the secret ballot election, but rather would allow workers, not their bosses, the choice in how to form a union. It would, however, tear down the roadblocks that workers face when trying to join unions, so they can bargain for fair wages, benefits and job security. Once that happens, we can truly get on the path toward recovery and create an economy that works for everyone again.
Whether the Trib editorial board likes it or not, the American public overwhelmingly voted for change in November and supports worker-friendly policies like the Employee Free Choice Act.
Kimberly Freeman
Washington, D.C.
The writer is acting executive director of American Rights at Work, a nonprofit advocacy organization."
Published May 20th, 2009 Pittsburg TribLive
Google Reader found Ms. Freeman's interesting article this morning. I knew little about American Rights at Work (ARW), "Advancing Democracy in the American Workplace", so I paid them a visit. A peek at the Board of Directors and About US will tell you everything you need to know about American Rights at Work "fair and balanced" editorial policy.
It's not so much that I fault Ms. Freeman's views as without truth; it's that I'd like some of whatever she's smoking and she didn't tell us where to get it.
My old hillbilly farmer friend, Jeb, told me "Have pitchfork, will travel". He said he'd be happy to collect the large piles of smelly stuff to take home and spread on the fields. "Makes the maeders and corn (Jeb don't speak good english) grow".
On a more serious note, I'm offended that Ms. Freeman thinks the American public is stupid enough to buy "Advancing Democracy in the American Workplace" from a union shill group. I have no problem with Ms. Freeman's right to her views but get a clue!
It's 2009 and we have the Internet. You can no longer write something, publish it in a newspaper and have folks believe it as gospel; the print newspapers are about to go the way of the dinosaurs and facts are too easy to check.
Visit the ShopFloor and read the February 6th post on Labor Secretary Solis's (then Representative Solis, D-CA, and the treasurer of ARW) confirmation. You can also read the Feburary 5th Washington Examiner Editorial Opinion.
If I were were a conspiracy nut, I could have a field day. Let's see: "President Obama appointed Secretary Solis who was a member of the house from California and treasurer/board member of ARW. Obama and Solis have "promised" less union oversight by OLMS and Obama has proposed cutting their budget by 9%. The SEIU has had a lot of trouble with corruption in California. The union contributed heavily to Obama and other liberal candidates with ARW taking the point in some campaign contributions.
Ah ha! Little green men are carrying bags of money from the Daddy Warbucks International Bank of Members Money directly into the Oval Office, Jimmy Hoffa is still alive and running the Teamsters from his snowshoe rental stand in Siberia and the news of Elvis's death was greatly exaggerated; he was just spotted in a rural Georgia Winn-Dixie buying an RC Cola and a Moon Pie.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it! - it's as believable as the yarns being spun by Ms. Freeman.
Image courtesy of Bigoo.WS
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