Post-Election Press Briefing: Card Check and the Economy
November 6, 2008
Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Bruce Josten, Executive Vice President for Government Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
You Don't Want to Meet Bill
Card Check Voter Education - Colorado
Air date: September 15, 2008
Would Card Check Eliminate Secret Ballot Elections? America’s Leading Newspapers Say Yes
Recognizing their vulnerability on the secret ballot issue (most people object to undermining this principle of democracy), Card Check advocates have decided to cover their tracks. They do so by making the claim that the legislation actually protects secret ballot rights.
One doesn’t need a J.D. in labor law to see the absurdity of this assertion. In fact, you need only be a casual reader of some of the nation’s leading newspapers, such as The Wall Street Journal, the L.A. Times, and The Washington Post, among others. The editorial boards of these papers took a look at the Card Check bill, and concluded decisively that the legislation effectively eliminates private ballots. See the link below and read for yourself.
Overall, we find little conclusive evidence that shareholder proposals tangibly improve firm value. Given the costs associated with the proxy process and the unproven impact on company value, some consideration should be given to the net benefits of such initiatives.
Chamber President Tom Donohue Launches Workforce Freedom Initiative
U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue launched the Workforce Freedom Initiative on Monday, July 21 in a speech to the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. In his speech, Donohue outlined the impact on Minnesota businesses of the misnamed “Employee Free Choice Act,” better known as Card Check, and the U.S. Chamber’s nationwide efforts to defeat this legislation.
The U.S. Chamber Is Challenging the Unions' Anti-Growth Agenda
An emboldened labor movement is pushing an aggressive activist agenda that would impose new and costly regulations on businesses, disrupt the way businesses are run, and stifle the U.S. economy. This agenda may be good for union bosses and the grab for power, but it's bad for U.S. competitiveness, bad for our economy, and bad for American workers.
While the U.S. Chamber strongly supports the right of workers to voluntarily join unions under fair and democratic rules, and we work closely with unions on issues such as infrastructure, energy, and immigration, we are determined to thwart bad policy.
Organized labor is pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into a 2008 campaign to elect a "filibuster-proof Senate" that will rubber-stamp Card Check legislation next year. Your representatives in Congress need to hear your voice, too. Call, write or visit your Senators and Member of Congress, and urge them to oppose Card Check. Tell your friends and neighbors about the issue, and consider writing a letter to your local newspaper.
