Banks says potential federal law threatens employees’ right

to a secret-ballot election on the question of unionization

STATEHOUSE (Feb. 16, 2011) – A proposal crafted by State Sen. Jim Banks (R-Columbia City) to amend Indiana’s Constitution aims to permanently safeguard worker’s rights to use secret ballots on union authorization votes.

Members of the Senate Committee on Pension and Labor voted 7-2 in favor of Banks’ Senate Joint Resolution 10, sending the measure to the full Senate for further consideration.

Currently, workers have a chance to vote for or against unionization in a supervised secret-ballot election – a voting method in which an individual’s choices is confidential.

Banks said under a proposed federal law, known as the Employee Free Choice Act or card check, if more than 50 percent of workers at a facility sign a card, the government would have to certify the union and a private ballot election would be prohibited – even if workers request one. Continue reading →