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George Bush Commander-in-Chief
of Union Busters

October 12, 2004

No matter what their political leanings, most IBEW members believe that more working people need unions to bargain with employers over issues ranging from pay to safety and health insurance. Some of this understanding comes from seeing family members forced into low-paying, nonunion service jobs, as U.S. manufacturers have shut down plants and relocated to Mexico and China.

In November, our members will be choosing between two very different approaches to unions by the Presidential candidates.

President Bush has supported broad efforts by anti-labor forces to weaken labor organizations. The president has:

• strong-armed members of Congress, in late 2002, into undermining the civil service and collective bargaining rights of some 170,000 federal workers belonging to the Homeland Security Department.
   
• sold legislation to Congress permitting the Department of Defense to implement a radical restructuring of labor relations that would weaken unions and veterans preference rights.
   
• appointed members to the National Mediation Board who have proposed that railroad workers who file grievances be charged an outrageous "filing fee" to discourage them from fighting against unsafe conditions and unfair management decisions.
   
• appointed members to the National Labor Relations Board who are considering the undermining of "card check recognition," the most effective means for workers to organize unions and win first contracts.

The policies of the Bush administration amount to a preemptive war against unions. Leaving more Americans without the protection of labor organizations is a direct assault on the incomes, safety, working conditions and benefits of all who labor in workplaces across the country.

The Kerry/Edwards ticket has won the support of every major union in the United States because they stand firm on the rights of Americans to join unions. They will reverse the anti-labor bias of the current administration and support the inclusion of labor organizations in the development of public policies that affect working folks.

Senators Kerry and Edwards are proud sponsors of the Employee Free Choice Act (S. 1925 and H.R. 3619), which would ensure that when a majority of employees in a workplace decides to form a union, they could do so without the unfair obstacles employers now use to block workers free choice.

If you value your union membership and want others to enjoy similar labor protections, consider the candidates records carefully before you cast your vote.

The Union Busting Business Is Booming, And What Unions are Doing About It

LRA Online - Union Busting Watch

AFL-CIO's America@Work Magazine, Sept./Oct. 2004

Mobilization 2004: Mobilizing for Victory