BETHESDA, Md. – The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) announced that Rob Green, vice president, government and political affairs, National Retail Federation, will be discussing the threat posed to U.S. businesses by card check legislation – specifically, the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) – at this year’s Aftermarket Legislative Summit, scheduled for March 11-12, in Washington, D.C.
Green, who will speak on Wednesday, March 11, during the legislative briefing session, is a key member of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (CDW), a coalition of workers, employers, associations and organizations who are fighting to protect the right to a federally-supervised private ballot when workers are deciding whether or not to join a union. The proposed EFCA, supported by labor unions, would replace the long-standing tradition of casting a private ballot with a system of card checks, which would allow a union to organize if a majority of workers sign the card. The process would be overseen by paid union organizers, not the federal government, and each worker’s choice is ultimately made known to their employer, co-workers and the union organizers. CDW, of which AAIA is a member, strongly opposes the so-called EFCA.
EFCA also contains a provision that mandates compulsory, binding arbitration on the employer and the employees as part the collective bargaining process if an agreement cannot be reached within the first 120 days of negotiations. This provision would permit a third-party government official to impose terms of a labor contract that are binding upon both parties, even if one or both parties find those terms unacceptable. Under this provision, unionized employees could find themselves with no say in the imposition of a contract that could have a major impact on their livelihood.
Online registration for the 2009 Aftermarket Legislative Summit is now available. For information on how to register, visit www.aftermarket.org or contact Cael Pulitzer at 301-654-6664 or e-mail [email protected]. More information on CDW is available at www.myprivateballot.com.
