The AFL-CIO’s Seth Micheals has breaking news in his blog today. It trumpets a new study which concludes that workers “won’t face coercion if they sign up for a union.”
Memo to Seth: Coercion of employees when they sign up for a union isn’t the problem. That sorta happens when they don’t.
The study then goes on to compare the process of organizing public sector (government) workers in four states that allow card-check vs. the private sector process currently on trial by organized labor. Such a study is blatantly and inherently flawed as such a comparison is like comparing checkers to chess. The reasons for these differences are many, however I’ll just offer one big one.
In the private sector, the costs of your employees being represented by a union are significant and threatening. Contrary to what union organizers are selling, they have little or nothing to do with employee pay and benefits. These costs include extensive litigation costs, loss of flexibility and productivity, the reduced value of your business or stock price (studies put that cost at -21%), as well as the loss of some customers who may prefer to do business with a union-free establishment. These costs are all borne by the employer, and as such can often have a fatal effect on an employer, and of course as a result, the employees.
In the public sector, these costs still exist, but they are simply passed on to those who pay the bills. That would be you, me, and all of the other taxpayers. Speaking from someone who resides in one of the states mentioned in the study, I can well attest to the tax burden already placed on these residents
If the AFL-CIO or anybody else can come up with a compromise measure that allows for these costs to be passed off on the taxpayer in the private sector as they are in the public sector, you just may have found yourself a strong ally in the Chamber of Commerce and you’ll have yourself your bail-out bill
And if you happen to be a New Jersey Legislator happening upon this blog, please note that such a proposal is offered in JEST and is not meant to be taken seriously!
