What Joe Biden Isn’t Saying in Miami….

With Vice President Joe Biden in Miami today to discuss the “Employee Free Choice Act” with AFL-CIO members, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer today praised the efforts of Majority Leader Adam Hasner and the Save Our Secret Ballot Initiative.

“Vice President Biden has traveled to Florida today to draw support for, the big union backed, ‘card check’ legislation. What he won’t tell workers, though, is that this bill seeks to strip American workers of their fundamental right to vote by secret ballot, subjecting workers to pressure by their employers, union organizers and colleagues by publicly signing union authorization cards,” stated Chairman Jim Greer. “The secret ballot is the foundation of American democracy and protects workers from intimidation. I am proud of Florida’s Republican elected officials, led by House Majority Leader Adam Hasner and Senator Garrett Richter who have worked hard to protect Florida’s business climate and workers by sponsoring an amendment to the Florida constitution to supersede the any federal legi slation and Save our Secret ballot.”

The right of individuals to vote by secret ballot is fundamental. This right should be guaranteed when local state or federal law requires elections for public office or public votes on ballot measures, or designations or authorizations of employee representation to be conducted by secret ballot. If elected officials cast secret ballots to elect their own leaders, Florida workers should have the same right. If passed, this legislation would place a federal government appointed arbitration board in the center of contract negotiations to decide what pay, benefits and working conditions the affected workers should receive, without a vote from the workers themselves.

“Casting a vote free of threats and harassment is the most basic of democracies’ principles,” said House Majority Leader Adam Hasner. “The right to a secret ballot is under attack, and we must work to preserve and protect the rights of workers to hear both sides of the argument and to cast their vote – in private, without intimidation from either union bosses or management.”

Majority Leader Hasner is a national advisory board member of Save Our Secret Ballot, a 501c4 organization dedicated to educating the American public on the continued need for a secret ballot wherever federal, state or local law requires elections. SOS Ballot is currently working across the country to place similar constitutional amendments before voters. SOS Ballot is leading campaigns in Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, North Dakota, Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, Nevada and Utah, and plan to announce additional states soon.

More information can be found at www.SOSballot.org.

Senators Do Not Back AFL-CIO Claim That They Have 60 Votes On EFCA:

“Pryor said in a written statement Wednesday that the legislation ‘is not perfect, and while I have been supportive in the past, I will consider amendments to make it better if and when it is considered by the Senate.’ Spokeswoman Leah Vest said Lincoln ‘is more concerned today about putting 90,000 jobless Arkansans back to work, and she’ll worry later about collective bargaining rules when the issue comes to a vote in the Senate.’ Landrieu spokesman Aaron said the senator is ‘carefully reviewing’ the bill and meeting with groups on both sides.” (Sam Hananel, “Top Union Official Sure Of Votes On Card Check,” The Associated Press, 3/5/09)

Rep. Price: ACORN And Move.org Mobilizing In Effort To Do Away With Secret Ballot:

“The community group ACORN, which itself is under federal investigation for alleged voter registration fraud, has been pushing ‘card check’ legislation that would deprive workers of the right to a secret ballot, Rep. Tom Price tells Newsmax. Calling the card check bill the ‘union worker intimidation act,’ Price says Democrats are organizing ‘ACORN and MoveOn.org and others, whatever groups they’re able to mobilize,’ to urge passage of card check … Under card check, a union official presents a card to a worker and asks him to check whether he wants to join the union. Because the official can see the worker’s choice, the procedure subjects the employee to possible intimidation and retaliation if he does not go along and sign up to join the union.” (Ron Kessler, “Rep. Price: ACORN Against Union Secret Ballot Voting,” Newsmax, 3/4/09)

Florida House Of Representatives Elects Leadership Via Secret Ballot Yet Some Refuse To Provide The Same Protection To Workers:

“‘House Democrats picked their leader in the workplace by secret ballot; now let’s see if House Democrats will allow Floridians in every workplace the same secret ballot right,’ said House Majority Leader Adam Hasner (R-Delray Beach), who has introduced a proposed constitutional amendment that aims to guarantee the right to a secret ballot in all elections.” (Alex Leary, “Hasner Rips Democrats’ ‘Secret Ballot,’” St. Petersburg Times, 3/4/09)

Hasner questions Dems secret ballot

“Renewing his campaign to protect secret ballots in union votes, House Republican Leader Adam Hasner of Boca Raton today accused his Democratic counterparts of hypocrisy on the issue. Democrats largely oppose the change, but Hasner points out the House Democratic caucus on Tuesday held a secret ballot election to pick their leader for 2010-11. ‘House Democrats picked their leader in the workplace by secret ballot; now let’s see if House Democrats will allow Floridians in every workplace the same secret ballot right,’ Hasner said in a press release from the Republican Party of Florida today. ‘Otherwise, House Democrats will once again be saying through their actions: do as we say, not as we do.’” (Mike Bender, “Hasner questions Dems secret ballot,” Palm Beach Post, 0/4/09)