Not everybody in the labor community thinks that card check is necessary, or that it will be a game changer in labor organizing. EFCA was a legislative proposal conceived and approved by the old gray heads of the labor movement, and they were able to achieve a consensus of support among the different unions and key political figures. That was a lot work, and there has always been a very keen sense that labor must present a united front on this, because the Chamber of Commerce and their allies (including some Dem congresscrittters) will jump on any chance to divide and conquer.

Doing away with the secret ballot (in most cases) was chosen as a tactic by labor because labor recognizes that the secret ballot is not now, and never has been, an expression of democracy in the work place (when was the last time your employer asked for an employee vote in any important business decision?). Instead, the secret ballot is a way for employers to gain an advantage over union organizing efforts. It appears at this stage that an emphasis on card check was a tactical mistake.

The goal is to increase unionization. We need a game changer to get there. If it is not card check, we need to find another means.

When I lived in Chicago, I moonlighted for a while as house manager for one of the smaller live theaters. The owner had set up a comped visit for Ms. Pritzker and some friends (shilling to find investors), but forgot to inform the box office staff. This was a hugely popular show and was sold out most nights, including the one when she and her friends showed up. The theater manager, after explaining the problem to her, managed to find them some seats in a section we were not using for that show because of poor sight lines.

About a third of the way through the show, she came out to the lobby complaining about her (free!) seats and demanding that we reseat her party. Both I and the box office explained to her that we could not do so as the show was sold out. She insisted that there were empty seat in the house and those should be given to her party. We again explained that those seats were in fact sold and that, by law, we could not give them to her. She then proceeded to throw a 30 minute tantrum in the middle of the theater lobby that would have embarrassed a 4 year old. She just barely missed being ejected from the theater for disruptive behavior.

Ain’t nobody (except the Jane Hamshers of the world) gonna dare to criticize the owner of Trans Union.