Coalition for a Democratic Workplace Releases Findings from New Statewide Polls

LA, NH and NM surveys show overwhelming support among union households for
maintaining private ballots for workers

WASHINGTON, July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- As Election Day nears, new research
shows troubling signs for candidates who support the misnamed Employee Free
Choice Act - or union "card check" legislation. The surveys conducted in the
battleground states of Louisiana, New Hampshire and New Mexico are consistent
with nationwide voter sentiment and with polls taken earlier this year in
other states. The research also sheds additional light on the disparity
between union workers around the country and union bosses in Washington
regarding the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).
Faced with declining union membership, labor leaders have aggressively
sought passage of the EFCA. Under the EFCA, workers would effectively lose
their right to a private ballot when deciding whether to join a union. The
private ballot would be replaced with a "card-check" scheme where a union is
automatically recognized if a majority of workers simply sign a card; the
workers' signatures are made public to their employer, the union organizers
and their co-workers.
"It's clear there's a disconnect between the labor bosses in Washington,
DC who are lobbying to effectively remove private ballots for workers, and
rank and file union members who overwhelmingly support keeping their vote
private when deciding whether or not to join a union," said Brian Worth, vice
president of the Independent Electrical Contractors, Inc. and member of the
Coalition for a Democratic Workplace. "Opposition to the Employee Free Choice
Act is widespread among voters in Louisiana, New Hampshire and New Mexico,
regardless of party affiliation and actually increases among union members
themselves. Hopefully, candidates are listening," added Worth.
Highlights from the surveys include:
-- Two-thirds of Louisiana voters (67%), seven in ten New Hampshire voters
(71%), and nearly eight in ten New Mexico voters (78%) agree that secret
ballot elections are the cornerstone of democracy and should be kept for union
elections. Agreement with this statement increases among union households to
78% in Louisiana, 75% in New Hampshire and 87% in New Mexico.
-- At least seven in ten voters in Louisiana (71%), New Hampshire (73%)
and New Mexico (77%) say that having a federally supervised secret ballot
election is the best way to protect workers' rights when organizing a union.
Among union households, this sentiment increases to 80% in Louisiana, 81% in
New Hampshire and remains consistently high in New Mexico (78%).
-- The majority of voters in Louisiana (63%), two-thirds of New Hampshire
voters (68%), and seven in ten New Mexico voters (72%) oppose Congress'
"Employee Free Choice Act". Among union households, opposition to the
legislation increases to 68% in Louisiana and to 76% in New Mexico. Union
household opposition to the EFCA in New Hampshire remains consistently high at
69%.
-- A plurality of voters in Louisiana would be less likely to vote for
Mary Landrieu (45%) if she supports the EFCA. In New Hampshire, 46% of voters
would be less likely to vote for Jeanne Shaheen if she supports this
legislation. More than four in ten voters in New Mexico (44%) would be less
likely to Tom Udall if he supports this legislation.
More information about each statewide poll is attached and can also be
found at www.MyPrivateBallot.com.
Methodology: McLaughlin & Associates conducted statewide surveys among
general election voters in Louisiana (n=400), New Hampshire (n=300) and New
Mexico (n=400) on July 8th through 10th, 2008. All interviews were conducted
by professional interviewers via telephone. Interview selection was at random
within predetermined election units. These units were structured to
statistically correlate with actual voter distributions in statewide general
elections. The accuracy of the sample of 300 likely general election voters is
within +/- 5.7% at a 95% confidence interval. The accuracy of the samples of
400 likely general election voters is within +/- 4.9% at a 95% confidence
interval.
About the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace
The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace is made up of more than 500
associations and organizations from every state across the nation that have
joined together to protect a worker's right to a private ballot when deciding
whether to join a union. For more information and a listing of our membership,
please visit www.MyPrivateBallot.com.
Voters Want to Protect a Worker's Right to a Secret Ballot Election
The issue of protecting a worker's right to a secret ballot could be a
liability to Democratic candidates who support the unions' position. Voters in
Louisiana, New Hampshire and New Mexico favor federally supervised secret
ballot elections over a process where the majority of workers simply sign a
card and workers' signatures are made public to their employers, union
organizers and co-workers. In fact, the overwhelming majority of voters agrees
that secret ballots are the cornerstone of democracy and should be kept for
union elections. The majority of voters opposes a bill in Congress called the
"Employee Free Choice Act" which would replace federally supervised secret
ballot elections with a process that requires the majority of workers to
simply sign a card to authorize organizing a union.
More specifically, seven in ten voters in Louisiana (71%), New Hampshire
(73%) and New Mexico (77%) say having a federally supervised secret ballot
election is the best way to protect workers' rights when organizing a union.
This sentiment increases among union households in Louisiana (80%) and New
Hampshire (81%).
If an election were held to decide whether workers would organize a union,
which one of the following types of elections is the best way to protect the
individual rights of workers? Having a process where a union is organized if a
majority of workers simply sign a card and the workers' signatures are made
public to their employer, the union organizers and their co-workers. OR,
Having a federally supervised secret ballot election where workers privately
vote yes or no on whether to authorize union representation.

Non- Non- Non-
LA Union Union NH Union Union NM Union Union
Total HH HH Total HH HH Total HH HH
Sign
Card 16 10 16 13 14 14 9 15 8
Secret
Ballot 71 80 69 73 81 73 77 78 80

More than two thirds of voters in Louisiana (67%), New Hampshire (71%) and
New Mexico (78%) agree that secret ballot elections are the cornerstone of
democracy and should be kept for union elections. Agreement with this
statement increases among union households (78% LA / 75% NH / 87% NM).
Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statement?
"Secret ballot elections are the cornerstone of democracy and should be kept
for union elections."

Non- Non- Non-
LA Union Union NH Union Union NM Union Union
Total HH HH Total HH HH Total HH HH
Agree 67 78 64 71 75 71 78 87 78
Disagree 20 15 21 18 17 19 14 7 15

The majority of voters in Louisiana (63%), New Hampshire (68%) and New
Mexico (72%) opposes Congress's "Employee Free Choice Act", which would
replace a federally supervised secret ballot process with one that requires a
majority of workers to simply sign a card to authorize a union. Opposition
increases among union households in Louisiana (68%) and New Mexico (76%).
There is a bill in Congress called the Employee Free Choice Act which would
replace a federally supervised secret ballot election with a process that
requires a majority of workers to simply sign a card to authorize organizing a
union and the workers' signatures would be made public to their employer, the
union organizers and their co-workers. Do you support or oppose Congress
passing this legislation?

Non- Non- Non-
LA Union Union NH Union Union NM Union Union
Total HH HH Total HH HH Total HH HH

Support 22 26 20 18 29 16 16 20 15
Oppose 63 68 62 68 69 69 72 76 72

Voters Are Less Likely to Support Pro-Card Check Candidates

Voters in Louisiana, New Hampshire and New Mexico would be less likely to
vote for a candidate for U.S. Senate who supports legislation to replace a
secret ballot system with a card check system. A plurality of voters would be
less likely to vote for Mary Landrieu (45%), Jeanne Shaheen (46%) and Tom
Udall (44%) if they support this legislation. Clearly, supporting legislation
to replace secret ballots with a card check system will have negative
consequences for potential Senate candidates.
Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for Mary Landrieu/Jeanne
Shaheen/Tom Udall for US Senate if you knew that she/he supported legislation
to take away a worker's right to have a federally supervised secret ballot
election when deciding whether to organize a union and replace that secret
ballot system with a card check system that would make public how each worker
voted to both union leaders and his or her employer? If it would make no
difference, just say so.

Non- Non- Non-
LA Union Union NH Union Union NM Union Union
Total HH HH Total HH HH Total HH HH
More
Likely 14 22 12 13 17 11 11 33 7
Less
Likely 45 44 46 46 50 47 44 35 47
No
Differ-
ence 31 26 32 33 23 36 36 24 38

Methodology: McLaughlin & Associates conducted statewide surveys of general
election voters in Louisiana (N=400), New Hampshire (N=300) and New Mexico
(N=400) between July 8th and 10th, 2008. All interviews were conducted by
professional interviewers via telephone. Interview selection was at random
within predetermined election units. These units were structured to
statistically correlate with actual voter distributions in statewide general
elections. The accuracy of the samples of 400 likely general election voters
is within +/- 4.9% at a 95% confidence interval. The accuracy of the sample of
300 likely general election voters is within +/- 5.7% at a 95% confidence
interval.
SOURCE Coalition for a Democratic Workplace

Rhonda Bentz, +1-202-580-7289