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1 Blackburn Center
Gloucester, MA 01930
Phone: 978-282-1400
Fax: 978-282-3238
TAG AND LABEL MANUFACTURERS INSTITUTE, INC.
40 Shuman Blvd., Suite 295 – Naperville, IL 60563(630) 357-9222 – FAX (630) 357-0192 – email office@tlmi.com
www.tlmi.com
March 12, 2009
The Honorable
Washington D.C. 20515Re: Opposition to Employee Free Choice Act
Dear Senator:
The Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, Inc. (TLMI) strongly opposes the impending Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), better known as Card Check, as set forth in the attached position statement adopted by TLMI’s Board of Directors. TLMI, a 75 year-old trade association, represents over 285 companies in North America actively engaged in the manufacture and supply of tags, labels, and allied products.
TLMI believes in the fundamental right of every employee to make his or her own choice on union representation. TLMI therefore aggressively opposes the EFCA bill because it would take away the right of employees to a federally supervised, private ballot in union elections.
Specifically, TLMI opposes the following aspects of the EFCA bill:
Circumvention of Private Ballot Election: EFCA would force employees to make their important decision on whether or not to support a union in public—potentially in front of co-workers, union organizers and others who have a stake in the organizing process. TLMI strongly believes the secret ballot election process can best ascertain a worker’s true view on union representation. By eliminating the private ballot, EFCA would take away an employee’s private and "free choice," expose employees to coercion and promote a threatening work environment for employees.
Binding Arbitration on First Contract: EFCA would end bargaining negotiations after only 120 days (90 days of negotiations and 30 days of mediation) and force a two-year contract on both the employer and employees. TLMI believes that mandatory binding arbitration could motivate either a union or an employer to engage in bad faith bargaining until the end of the negotiating period. Finally, EFCA would allow an arbitrator to impose employment conditions unwanted by either employees or management.
One-sided penalties: EFCA would establish additional penalties, including liquidated damages, on employers that discriminate against employees during organizing drives, but it creates no new or increased penalties for labor organizations that engage in coercive conduct during organizing campaigns.
On behalf of our membership, we ask that you protect the ability of American workers to choose whether or not to unionize through federally-supervised secret ballot elections. We urge you to oppose the deceptively named “Employee Free Choice Act”. Please vote pro-manufacturing and pro-worker. This legislation will threaten our economic competitiveness.
Sincerely,
Frank A. Sablone – TLMI President
(630) 357-9222
fas@tlmi.com