It's the wrong time to expand union power

There is a bill before the Senate with the entirely inappropriate name of The Employee Free Choice Act, otherwise known as Card Check, which I believe would do irreparable harm to our economy. Many people that I talk to are not aware of the bill because it is not getting much coverage by the media. Most people that I talk to, regardless of their political leanings or their feelings about unions, are amazed that it is even being considered, let alone that it has already been passed by the House.

The bill will replace the current long-standing process of recognizing unions with a system that will eliminate the employees right to a secret ballot, opening individuals up to ridicule and intimidation by union organizers, fellow employees, etc. In addition, once 50 percent plus 1 of the employees of a company have signed the card, the company will automatically be unionized, possibly without ever having had the opportunity to present their position.

Finally, there will be mandatory arbitration if the company and the union cannot agree on terms within three months, leading to the likelihood that the terms and conditions of employment for many businesses in this country will now be set by third parties, not by the owners of the business.

I can't for the life of me see what problems this bill solves, but I can certainly foresee the damage it could do to the competitiveness of many companies in this country. Massive additional unionization is not the answer to our problems. It's time to remember that unions and governments don't create jobs, businesses do.

Pete Viohl

South Barrington