Washington-Some 3,100 business, including numerous agribusiness at the behest of the Agricultural Retailers Association, signed a May 14 letter to Congress voicing strong opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a bill that would make it easier for unions to form by offering a “card check” or majority sign-up system as an alternative to the secret ballot in union-organizing elections. The letter’s signers say they oppose EFCA on three grounds. First, they claim the majority sign-up provision would disenfranchise workers who oppose unionization, and hinder an employer’s ability to counter incorrect or misleading claims made by unions. Second, they argue that another provision in EFCA – one that would require government-appointed arbitration if a collective bargaining agreement is not reached on a first contract within as little as 130 days – would put too much power in the hands of the arbitration panel. “No government-appointed arbitrator should have the power to impose a contract that could radically alter an employer’s business model and potentially destroy its competitive advantage and ability to compete in these difficult economic times,” the letter argues. And third, the letter claims EFCA would significantly increase penalties on employer violations of certain labor laws, but not on union violations. “It is hard to see how coercion by labor organizations should be favored over coercion by employers,” the letter states. EFCA’s chances for success were improved with Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter’s decision to switch from the Republican to the Democratic Party in April. The bill’s advocates believe a positive vote from Specter could give the bill a filibuster-proof majority. Specter on May 14 said the “prospects are pretty good” for an EFCA compromise.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain