June 12, 2008 - 19:12
News: Maine

Group hits Allen on support of card-check legislation

The Employee Freedom Action Committee has launched a campaign against U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate against Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins.

Thursday a full page ad appeared in several daily newspapers slamming Allen for his support of the Employee Free Choice Act. The act is designed to make it easier for worker groups to unionize and has drawn fire from certain labor groups such as EFAC.

The bill’s opponents refer to it as the “card-check” legislation.

Collins opposes the bill because of a provision that takes away secret ballots in the union process, and the committee drove home this point in their ad, which reads:

“Tom Allen won Tuesday’s Democratic primary through a private ballot vote. Incredibly, he supports a federal law that will force Maine employees into labor unions by eliminating their right to the same private ballot vote.”

The act is sponsored by a bi-partisan group in Congress and has the support of the AFL-CIO. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Millinocket, also supports it. Michaud prides himself on being a card carrying member of the United Steelworkers union.

The bill will:

-Allow workers to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation

-Create stronger penalties for employee rights violations when a union is formed and during first-contract negotiations

-Provide mediation and arbitration in contract disputes

Allen prides himself on standing up for working people, which is why he supports the legislation, said spokeswoman Carol Andrews in an e-mail. Union workers are able to get better wages and benefits because of the collective bargaining process, she said.

“It is no surprise to us that groups who are anti-working people would run attack ads to try to diminish Tom Allen’s hard work on behalf of our middle class and working families,” Andrews said. “And it is no surprise that they would run those attacks in an attempt to favor our opponent who opposed this important legislation that helps level the playing field for working people.”

Tim Miller, a spokesman for the Employee Freedom Action Committee, said there will be more ads coming in the state as a means to raise awareness on the issue. Miller said most Mainers oppose the legislation.

The committee contracted a poll at the beginning of May, which showed that 57 percent of the 400 voters polled opposed the act, where 27 percent support it. Among those polled, 32 percent said they were less likely to vote for Allen because of his support of the bill, and 11 percent said they were more likely to vote for him.

Miller said in existing unions, having a private ballot is a fundamental right, and taking away this right would have enormous implications.

Unions are bad for business, and have hurt the auto and steel industries, Miller said, and unions are the reason for factory shutdowns in the Midwest.

“What happens is that independent, small businesses for a union contract,” Miller said. “(Union leaders) have more interest in advancing their own political power and their own agenda than looking out for the workers.”

Sen. Collins opposes the legislation because it takes away private balloting, said campaign manager Steve Abbott.

“She strongly supports the right for workers to form unions,” Abbott said. The bill shows “A clear difference between the two candidates.”

Jessica Alaimo is a PolitickerME.com Reporter and can be reached via email at noreply@politicker.com.

Comments

Convert MOD files is designed


Convert MOD files is designed for mod converting.

11/04/09 11:01 am

Convert MOD files is designed


Convert MOD files is designed for mod converting.

11/04/09 11:00 am

Replica Watches


Replica Watches,Replica Handbags,Replica Shoes,pens Discount. Gucci Group, part of Christian Dior Replica France s PPR Replica handbags SA, plans to open a flagship Replica Watches store Concord Fake Watches in Shanghai in IWC Watch Replica May after adding Replica Hublot Watch Replica Piaget three new locations in January. It Loewe Replica Handbags Maurice Lacroix Watches says Gucci Replica its sales in Replica Miu Miu China Replica Prada Handbags soared 42 percent last Piaget Watch year compared with Replica Marc Jacobs Bags Daniel Roth Replica Watch 2007, 10 times its Wholesale Swiss Rolex Watch global growth Replica Watches Replica Handbags rate of 4.2 percent. Gucci Chanel Watches Replica said China Replica Barbarabui currently represents one of Yves Saint Laurent Handbags its most dynamic Replica TAG Heuer Watches areas Richard Mille Replica Watches of Parmigiani Replica Watch retail growth. Greater China Jaeger LeCoultre Watches including Gucci Watch Hong Fake Ulysse Nardin Watches Kong and Macau accounted for Replica Marc jacobs Bags miu miu Handags Replica 14.3 percent of Gucci s sales Roger Dubuis Replica last year.France s Cartier Replica Watches Domaines Barons de Replica Wallet Handbags Rothschild, producer of Chateau Lafite wine, Replica Panerai is developing a vineyard in the Wholesale Audemars Piguet Watch eastern Parmigiani Watch province of Shandong to serve growing local demand.

09/10/09 9:56 am

Replica Watches


Replica Watches, Breitling Replica Watches, Fake Omega Watch The Christian Dior Replica Bags China market is growing fast. Piaget Watch Beside Piaget Watch Replica the Blancpain Watch Replica global Wholesale Bvlgari Watch downturn, Replica Seiko Watches Roger Dubuis Watches which Thomas Wylde Replica A Lange & Sohne Watches Maurice Lacroix Fake Watches affects Prada Replica Bags Jacob & Co Replica Watches Patek Philippe Replica Chanel Watches Replica every country, China Fake Bvlgari Watches is Concord Watch Rado Fake Wholesale 2009 New Arrival Watch quite stable, Cartier Replica Watches IWC Replica Watches Tissot Replica Michele Richard Mille Replica Watch Rado Watch Replica Norsa, Breitling Replica Watches Fake Breguet Watches chief Patek Philippe Fake Watches executive of Gucci Fake Watches Replica Roger Dubuis Breitling Watches Salvatore Replica Watches Barbarabui Replica Handbags Ferragamo SpA, Replica Gucci Handbags said Swiss Army Replica Replica Jaeger LeCoultre Watch in Replica Watches Bottega Veneta Replica Handbags an jewelry wholesale AH Replica Handbags e-mail Breguet Watches Replica Raymond Weil Watches Replica response Wholesale Tudor Watch Replica Chopard Watches to Louis Vuitton Handbags Patek Philippe Fake questions. Daniel Roth Fake Watches Wholesale Maurice Lacroix Watch Roger Dubuis Watch Cartier Watches ""Definitively, A Lange & Sohne Watches Tag Heuer Replica we Breitling Replica Watches Zenith Replica Watches are Replica Bottega Veneta Bags optimistic.Ferragamo Swiss Army Watches plans to Piaget Replica add Gucci Replica Watch seven Fake Ulysse Nardin Watches to eight Blancpain Watches China Replica Handbags Vacheron Watch stores Zenith Watch Replica this year, with A Lange & Sohne Fake Watches further Oris Watch expansion Swiss Rolex Replica Watch in Swiss Watches Replica 2010, according Wholesale Girard Perregaux Watch to Fake Marni Handbags Tag Heuer Watch Norsa.

08/07/09 2:18 pm

Replica Watches


Replica Watches,Replica Handbags,Replica Shoes,pens Discount. The China Replica HandBags Designer market Loewe Fake Handbags is growing fast. Chanel Watch Beside the Franck Muller Replica Watch global downturn, which affects every country, China is quite stable, Marc Jacobs Replica Handbags Michele Norsa, Replica miu miu chief executive of Salvatore Piaget Fake Watches Ferragamo SpA, said Replica Watches in Replica Wholesale Handbags an e-mail response Replica Breitling Watch to Replica Balenciaga Handbags Fake AH Handbags questions. Marni Fake Handbags ""Definitively, we Louis Vuitton Replica Watch are optimistic.China Louis Vuitton Handags Replica s Replica Marni Bags 6 Replica Watches billion euro ($8 billion) Fake Chanel Handbags luxury market accounts for just jewelry wholesale 3 percent Bally Handags Replica of global Replica Handbags sales, compared Mulberry Handbags Fake Breitling Watches with Chloe Fake Handbags 38 Bally Handags Replica percent in Yves Saint Laurent Handags Replica Replica Movado Watches Europe, 33 percent Replica Loewe Handbags in Marc Jacobs Fake Handbags South and North America and 12 percent Replica Watches in Japan, Wholesale Cartier Watch according Raymond Weil Fake Watches to Bain Replica Handbags Wholesale & Co. But Gucci Handags Replica China and Brazil are projected to Replica AH Handbags Miu Miu Handbags be the two fastest-growing luxury markets Replica Prada Bags through Wholesale Omega Watch 2012, according to consulting firm Bain & Co.

07/17/09 1:33 am

Post new comment

  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <p> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <br>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
1 + 10 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.