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Labor-Funded Researchers Tout Unions
By Bradley Vasoli, The Bulletin
Yesterday, representatives of the nonprofit American Rights at Work and the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) discussed research they said establishes that unionization doesn’t harm the American economy.
They said research of this kind bears importantly upon the current debate in Congress over the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), commonly known as “card check.” If enacted, the legislation would mostly do away with secret-ballot elections for company staffs considering unionization. It would also require binding arbitration for companies that cannot finalize a contract with a union within four months.
Foregoing the secret ballot in favor of public petition signings would make unionization much easier, which American Rights at Work and EPI say is an unequivocally good thing. According to EPI economist Josh Bivens, the negative impact of unionization on a company’s survival, on average, is zero.
Dr. Bivens referred to analysis undertaken by his colleague John DiNardo at the University of Michigan suggesting that companies whose workers vote overwhelmingly to join a union fail no more frequently than those whose workers vote otherwise.
“Unionized firms do not fail at any higher rates than nonunion firms,” Dr. Bivens said. “This research really puts the lie to some claims of opponents of the Employee Free Choice Act.”
Opponent of forced unionism and card check, however, took issue with EPI’s line of argument. Nathan Benefield, policy research director at the Harrisburg-based Commonwealth Foundation, said EPI, a labor-funded institution, would naturally conclude that union representation is generally beneficial.
“It’s basically the unions saying that unionization is a good thing,” he said.
Mr. Benefield also said policymakers should be mindful of the downward pressures unionization can exert on employment. But he does not believe unionization is uniformly bad. He said labor organizations should be allowed to represent any private-sector staff that wishes to be represented, but only if no one is forced into membership and workers can choose a union without coercion.
Pennsylvania Right to Work President Susan Staub voiced those same concerns, saying she believes the labor movement has tried to skirt passed the less palatable elements of EFCA by flaunting the supposed benefits of unionism.
“That’s not the point of the legislation,” she said. “They’re trying to make this a macro thing about unionization. It’s not about unionization. I think that’s a diversion on their part. This legislation decides whether a worker has a secret ballot or not.”
Ms. Staub said card check would only make it easier for less upstanding organizers to intimidate workers into agreeing to union representation.
Many businesses and industrial associations have begun voicing strong opposition to card check, but American Rights at Work invited some small business owners who support EFCA to speak to reporters yesterday. They said union representation has contributed to the well-being and contentedness of their staffs and to the productivity of their enterprises.
“We view this as a plus with the unions because we have utilized a great deal of opportunity to create policies and procedures that help benefit our company,” said Darren Horndasch, owner of the Wisconsin Vision eye-care company. “This has been a positive experience for us for the past 29 years.”
Bradley Vasoli can be reached at bvasoli@thebulletin.us
They said research of this kind bears importantly upon the current debate in Congress over the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), commonly known as “card check.” If enacted, the legislation would mostly do away with secret-ballot elections for company staffs considering unionization. It would also require binding arbitration for companies that cannot finalize a contract with a union within four months.
Foregoing the secret ballot in favor of public petition signings would make unionization much easier, which American Rights at Work and EPI say is an unequivocally good thing. According to EPI economist Josh Bivens, the negative impact of unionization on a company’s survival, on average, is zero.
Dr. Bivens referred to analysis undertaken by his colleague John DiNardo at the University of Michigan suggesting that companies whose workers vote overwhelmingly to join a union fail no more frequently than those whose workers vote otherwise.
“Unionized firms do not fail at any higher rates than nonunion firms,” Dr. Bivens said. “This research really puts the lie to some claims of opponents of the Employee Free Choice Act.”
Opponent of forced unionism and card check, however, took issue with EPI’s line of argument. Nathan Benefield, policy research director at the Harrisburg-based Commonwealth Foundation, said EPI, a labor-funded institution, would naturally conclude that union representation is generally beneficial.
“It’s basically the unions saying that unionization is a good thing,” he said.
Mr. Benefield also said policymakers should be mindful of the downward pressures unionization can exert on employment. But he does not believe unionization is uniformly bad. He said labor organizations should be allowed to represent any private-sector staff that wishes to be represented, but only if no one is forced into membership and workers can choose a union without coercion.
Pennsylvania Right to Work President Susan Staub voiced those same concerns, saying she believes the labor movement has tried to skirt passed the less palatable elements of EFCA by flaunting the supposed benefits of unionism.
“That’s not the point of the legislation,” she said. “They’re trying to make this a macro thing about unionization. It’s not about unionization. I think that’s a diversion on their part. This legislation decides whether a worker has a secret ballot or not.”
Ms. Staub said card check would only make it easier for less upstanding organizers to intimidate workers into agreeing to union representation.
Many businesses and industrial associations have begun voicing strong opposition to card check, but American Rights at Work invited some small business owners who support EFCA to speak to reporters yesterday. They said union representation has contributed to the well-being and contentedness of their staffs and to the productivity of their enterprises.
“We view this as a plus with the unions because we have utilized a great deal of opportunity to create policies and procedures that help benefit our company,” said Darren Horndasch, owner of the Wisconsin Vision eye-care company. “This has been a positive experience for us for the past 29 years.”
Bradley Vasoli can be reached at bvasoli@thebulletin.us
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