Letter From Company CEO-President to Employees

Dear Associates,

Sometime soon there will be discussion in the U.S. Congress of legislation that would have a dramatic impact on all employees of our company. It is called the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) – and is commonly referred to as “card check” legislation.

If signed into law, EFCA would be the biggest change in labor law in 60 years. It would rewrite the rules governing how workforces choose whether or not to be represented by a union, as well as the procedures for how companies and unions interact, and how wages, benefits and work rules are set.

Labor leaders are pushing hard for card check and say it would simply make it easier for workers to choose a union. We have studied this issue closely and we respectfully disagree. Card check would take away some very basic, but extremely important, rights that you and your coworkers now enjoy. Chief among them is the democratic right to a secret ballot election where you make your voice heard about joining a union or not.
 
With card check, a union can distribute union authorization cards and if 50% plus one of the workers sign the cards, the company must recognize the union as representing all of the workers in an appropriate bargaining unit. There is no secret ballot election. In fact, a union could be recognized – and you would be required to join or be represented by it – and you and many of your coworkers might not even know about it until it is too late. Your voice would never be heard.

Under current law, signing a union authorization card simply means that the employee would like to hear more about the pros and cons of having a union – and most of those signing the card know that if 30% of their coworkers sign, an election will be held. Card check removes that discussion period – and your right to vote.

We believe labor leaders see card check as an easy way to get more members – and more dues money. But don’t just take our word on this – please study the issue and draw your own conclusions.

A place to start: www.WeAreManufacturers.com. We are confident that as you learn more about this issue and how it could affect you and your job, you will agree that card check is a bad solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.

We will keep you informed on this issue. In the meantime, please feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have.