Right to Work Blog

The Washington Post makes clear that when a teacher’s union in Hawaii inked a contract that provided for more pay in exchange for random drug testing, they chose to take the money and run.

Since the teachers’ union approved the pact nearly two years ago, they have accepted the 11 percent boost in pay while fighting the random tests as an illegal violation of their privacy rights. No teacher has been tested.

The Honolulu Star Bulletin is taking on Big Labor and their local congressman, Neil Abercrombie, by opposing efforts to enact the Card Check Scam Bill, both nationally and in Hawaii. The Star proclaims that Gov. Linda Lingle “. . . rightly vetoed a bill approved by the Legislature that would have had the effect of eliminating secret elections in union organizing . . . .”

Abercrombie had written an editorial supporting the elimination of secret ballot elections, but the Star didn’t find his reasoning compelling. “Abercrombie points out that management is known to pressure employees to reject union organization. That can be effective in discouraging them from signing union cards, but anonymity protected by secret ballots in union elections is the best way to thwart pressure from both management and labor.”

“Maintaining the secret ballot is the best way to protect workers’ privacy and to ensure workers have the ability to vote their conscience without fear of repercussion or retaliation,” Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle said in a statement upon her veto of Hawaii H.B. 2974 (a Big Labor-backed bill to replace Hawaii’s current law that requires an election by secret ballot when workers attempt to organize).

“There is no compelling justification for replacing a fair, democratic process with one that has the potential to erode a worker’s existing rights and protections under the law,” she continued.

Indeed, there isn’t.

The likelihood of this vastly unpopular legislation receiving a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the Legislature by May 1 to override the governor’s veto is slim, but we urge Hawaii’s Right to Work supporters to stand firm in their vocal opposition to this destructive legislation.

Hawaii’s Gov. Linda Lingle’s veto of Hawaii’s version of the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill has infuriated the state’s union bosses who seek to override her decision.

Luckily for workers, Lingle has an ally in this fight. Rep. Colleen Meyer is fighting to prevent an override recognizing that “private businesses could find it a great deal more difficult to operate here in Hawaii if House Bill 2974 becomes law. . . . ”

Meyer continues:

The timing for this bill could not be worse. The cost of living in Hawaii is skyrocketing while our economy is slowing down. On Thursday, ATA Airlines ceased operations. This past Monday, Aloha Airlines laid off 1,900 employees, last week Molokai Ranch laid off over 120 employees, NCL is reducing its cruise ship fleet in Hawaii from three ships to one, and even attractions like Sea Life Park have recently laid off employees.

This bill sends a strong message to businesses that Hawaii is not a business friendly place. According to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Hawaii ranked 45th out of 50 states in economic outlook and we ranked 50th out of 50 on the sales tax burden levied on our citizens. The Alliance for Worker Freedom gave Hawaii an “F” in its 2007 National Report Card.

As a champion of workers, Meyers knows that:

A Right to Work law secures the right of employees to decide for themselves whether or not to join a union individually, not as a collective group. Right to Work laws protect the freedom of private AND public sector employees to keep and hold jobs without being required to pay union dues.

2008 is an election year and the Democrats want to “curry favor” with the unions to receive their support in the upcoming contests. It is also convenient that the Legislature passed this bill early, so when the Governor vetoes this bill, the Democrat super majority will be able to override the Governor’s veto during the regular session and avoid the criticism that often is raised when the Legislature calls a special session.

Over the past two decades, union membership has declined nationally, but not so in Hawaii, where 24.7% of our workforce is unionized. That’s the highest percentage in the country. If you compare Right to Work states with those that have “Card Check” laws, the Right to Work states are outperforming the Card Check states.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the states that have the highest percentage increase in Gross Domestic Product over the last few years are states with Right to Work Laws. Those states that have “Card Check” laws or high union membership do not perform well at all.

Michigan ranked 48th of 50 and New Jersey was ranked 36th. It is a shame that the Majority Party is putting “political points” and union interest before the economic well being of the people of Hawaii.

I urge the voters of Hawaii to contact their state representatives and senators and tell them not to override the Governor’s veto.

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle announced that she will veto a bill that would eliminate a worker’s right to a secret ballot election when deciding whether or not to have union representation in the workplace.

HB2974 HD2, a state version of the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill pending in the United States Senate, would eliminate the secret ballot election.

Under current law, a secret ballot process is generally used to determine whether employees desire union representation. This bill replaces that process with one in which organizers would only need to gather signatures from a majority of employees indicating they were in favor of forming a union.

“. . . [T]his bill would deny workers their privacy and right to a confidential vote when making that decision [unionization] ,” said Governor Lingle. “Maintaining the secret ballot is the best way to protect workers’ privacy and to ensure workers have the ability to vote their conscience without fear of repercussion or retaliation. There is no compelling justification for replacing a fair, democratic process with one that has the potential to erode a worker’s existing rights and protections under the law.”

Three cheers to Governor Lingle for standing up for workers!