🚀 go-pugleaf

Mark Wilkinson (markw@unixg.ubc.ca) wrote:
: In article <4ee0lq$m5p@grid.direct.ca>,
:    cskelton@direct.ca (craig skelton) wrote:

: Well... Not exactly.  As another respondent pointed out, unionization is not 
: based on a unanimous decision, but rather a 'democratic' one.  The reason I am 
: so hesitant to use the word 'democratic' w.r.t. unionization is that they do 
: not have open votes (before you flame me for saying this, please phone the BC 
: Fed. of Labour and check out your facts!).

Unions in BC are formed by the process of the signing of union cards by 
the employees.  If more than 55% of employees sign the cards then the 
union is created and the employer is required by law to bargain with it.  
If between 45-55% of employees sign the cards then a secret ballot is 
held to determine the existence of a union (with the decision going the 
way that 50+1 % or more employees vote).

: We have all seen examples of picket-line violence.  Combine this with 
: non-secret ballots and you realize that there is really *no* democracy in the 
: unionization process.  People are bullied into making the decision to join the 
: union.  It really isn't a free choice at all.

All strike votes are done by secret ballot are they not?  And I believe 
in order to be legal the strike votes must be overseen by some LRB 
members/employees or something.

It is also true that if bullying tactics are used in the creation of the 
union all the employer has to do is take the bullied employee before the 
LRB and the LRB will rule the act of forming the union invalidated.   
Likewise the LRB has the power to create a union if it sees that the 
employer has bullied employees into not signing the cards.

Unions aren't the destroyers of the free market system or democracy as we 
know it.  Nor will they be, no matter how hard some people try to make us 
believe it.  They're merely a market force looking out for its own 
interests, much like any other force, ie: the employer.



--
I'm a Skeptic. I believe in    : There are 2 kinds of people in this
religion.  I believe in Jesus. : world, those who are Irish
I believe he walked on Water.  : And those that wish they were.
Just that he did it the winter.: