Happy Shiny Fun Poll

by Brad Peck

The Hill has posted on a new union-commissioned poll claiming 73% support for card-check. Bar the door, I am sure we are going to be hearing a lot about this one. Let's take a look:

On the phone with respondents, Hart's surveyers led with questions about fairness toward workers.

Respondents vastly said they supported legislation that "makes it easier for workers to bargain with their employers for better wages, benefits and working conditions" and the "importance of strong laws giving employees freedom of choice about forming a union in their workplace without management interference"–the first two questions asked by Hart's callers–according to the survey.

In related news 93% of adults surveyed feel that "things shouldn't suck."  The other 7% are masochists.

Of course it should be easy for workers to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions, and of course workers should be free to form a union, without interference from anyone.  If you ask, as we did, about the actual methods included in the "Employee Free Choice Act" the results are a little different:

A November poll commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and conducted by Lombardo Consulting Group, in contrast to today's survey, reported that 19 percent of respondents supported unionization via sign-up cards.

All the union poll proves is that feel good questions yield feel good responses, if you don't believe me ask yourself two questions: "Do you want more free time?" then "Do you want your company to go out of business?"  Chances are your answers are different, or you are with the 7%. 

Comments

[Bob Hatline]

Why is the chamber frightened about card check and America first? Do we really need a Chamber of Commerce? What do they do for the american people and our tax dollars anyway?

[ChamberPost]

(BP) Thanks for the comment LM, I would like to reply in detail but there is a championship game about to start, but regarding economic impact here is Randy Johnson "The costs to the employer of running a good E-Verify program are substantial. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), relying on independent studies, estimated "that a mandatory dial-up version of the pilot program for all employers would cost the federal government, employers, and employees about $11.7 billion total per year, with employers bearing most of the costs." While it is anticipated that the web based version of the program is less costly because there is no dedicated phone line and fewer information technology expenses, our experience has been that such costs are likely insubstantial compared to the dramatic costs in productivity as labor is diverted from productive activities to administrative activities."

The above is from here: http://www.uschamber.com/issues/testimony/2008/080506laird_eevs.htm

And here is another great one: http://www.chamberpost.com/2008/08/e-verify-the-e.html

[LM]

please forgive above typo, i ment NOT legal.

[lm]

typo... i ment not legal

[L M]

As a legal American I want and expect the Us chamber of Commerce to advocate and encourage every business to use the government E-Verify. It is one program that works and Americans want and need it. We have enough of our own citizens out of work. No one should be able to have a job in this country that is illegal.