Crist Making A Mistake With Appeal To Unions
Katie Packer
June 5, 2010
The Palm Beach Post
Florida’s unemployment rate is 12 percent. Small businesses are struggling. Elected officials and those seeking public office should refuse to support policies that will result in additional unemployment.
Unfortunately, something as simple as saying “no” to job-killing legislation can become complicated when politics gets in the way. This appears to be the case for Charlie Crist. Recently, while speaking to the AFL-CIO, Gov. Crist stated that he would be “open” to the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which would remove secret ballot elections for union organizing and expose workers to union intimidation with a card-check system.
Another harmful component of the bill is binding interest arbitration. Instead of salaries and benefits being settled between employees and employers, a government-appointed bureaucrat could dictate contract terms for at least two years. This arbitrator could cause an employer to downsize or shut down.
Gov. Crist’s campaign website states, “Floridians who can work, should work.” Gov. Crist should commit to that as more than just a slogan and oppose the EFCA. If he does not, he should not be surprised to find that the first job lost due to his support for EFCA is his.
KATIE PACKER
Alexandria, Va.