The Employee Free Choice Act

Many industries in America are opposing the "Employee Free Choice Act", including those in the health care sector like Nursing Homes and Long Term Care Facilities. The "Employee Free Choice Act" recently introduced in Congress will essentially re-write the Labor Laws regarding secret ballot provisions for such things as joining unions.

Currently, employees are entitled to a private-ballot election when deciding whether they want union representation in their workplace. Elections are overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, which has numerous procedures in place to ensure fair, fraud-free elections. Because of NLRB safeguards, employees can cast their vote confidentially, without peer pressure or coercion from unions or employers. If Congress passes the Employee Free Choice Act, employees effectively lose their right to private-ballot elections. The bill would establish a so-called "card-check" union organizing system, in which a majority of employees simply sign a card in favor of union representation.

Many sector's of the Health Care Industry are opposed to this legislation and the potential harm it may bring. Nursing Homes are one of the many facilities and sectors of business that is actively opposing this Act. Retail companies and restaurants are also public about their opposition to the Act.

One of the key voter's in this legislation, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), said Tuesday he would vote against the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as the card-check bill. Regarding the number of votes needed for the legislation to pass, Specter holds a key vote that could swing the legislation to either pass or fail. According to McKnight's - Long Term Care and Assisted Living News website; "Nursing homes likely are cheering after Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) said Tuesday he would vote against the Employee Free Choice Act."

As of right now this issue is purely a partisan issue, with Democrats in favor of the legislation and Republicans fighting it. Republicans have also banned together to draft their own counter-legislation that would restore the secret-ballot process if this bill were to pass. Reps. John Kline (R-MN) and Tom Price (R-GA), the top Republicans on the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee and the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, are behind the counter-legislation. It was introduced on February 25, and is called the "Secret Ballot Protection Act."

The final vote on the "Employee Free Choice Act" has not yet been decided. It's not 100% clear as of right now what will happen, but it is clear that it will be quite a showdown. I'm sure their is some good and bad in both sides of the argument, but let's just hope whatever the outcome is it does more good than harm for those in the Long Term Care industry.






Sources:

http://www.mcknights.com/Specter-plans-vote-against-card-check-legislation-threatening-bills-passage/article/129463/

http://www.restaurant.org/government/Issues/Issue.cfm?Issue=cardcheck

http://capwiz.com/hida/issues/alert/?alertid=12786646