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Lawmakers pass union 'card-check' bill

By Mark Niesse
Associated Press

POSTED: 09:35 a.m. HST, May 06, 2009

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A bill making it easier for workers to form labor unions has passed Hawaii’s Legislature.

The Democrat-controlled state House and Senate gave final approval yesterday to the measure, which permits a union to be certified if a majority of workers sign union authorization cards.

The proposal is mostly limited to agriculture businesses because they’re not covered by federal labor rules, and it exempts businesses with less than $5 million in annual revenues. Similar legislation expanding unions in many more industries nationwide is pending in the U.S. Congress.

The measure now heads to Republican Gov. Linda Lingle, who vetoed a previous “card check” bill last year. Lawmakers would then have to decide whether to use their overwhelming majorities to override her veto, which they declined to do last year.

“This is an attempt to assist the middle class,” said Senate Labor Committee Chairman Dwight Takamine, D-Hilo-Honokaa. “The statistics point out that unionized workers in the state generally have a higher wage level.”

But Republicans argue unions have too much power in Hawaii and weigh down the state economy.

“Our favoritism against big business in favor of organized labor makes us uncompetitive,” said Sen. Fred Hemmings, R-Lanikai-Waimanalo. “Hawaii is in dire straights. Card check is another unfair advantage labor would have in the economy.”

Hawaii is already the second-most unionized state with 24.3 percent of workers belong to a union in 2008, nearly double the national average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only New York was unionized, at 24.9 percent. Nationwide, union members accounted for 12.4 percent of the wage and salary workers.

The bill would require employers to recognize unions after being presented union cards signed by a majority of eligible workers on their payrolls. Under current labor law, a company can demand a secret ballot election supervised by the federal government after being presented the union cards.

“If they feel they want a union, it gives them another option to create that union,” said Rep. Cindy Evans, D-Makalawena-Waimea.

Hawaii lawmakers estimated the bill would affect fewer than 6,500 employees in the state employed by eight or nine agricultural businesses.

The federal legislation that would cover many more business, known as the Employee Free Choice Act, could come to a vote later this year if Democrats can muster 60 votes in the Senate to overcome an expected Republican filibuster.

———

HB952: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/

 


A bill making it easier for workers to form labor unions has passed Hawaii’s Legislature.

The Democrat-controlled state House and Senate gave final approval yesterday to the measure, which permits a union to be certified if a majority of workers sign union authorization cards.

The proposal is mostly limited to agriculture businesses because they’re not covered by federal labor rules, and it exempts businesses with less than $5 million in annual revenues. Similar legislation expanding unions in many more industries nationwide is pending in the U.S. Congress.

The measure now heads to Republican Gov. Linda Lingle, who vetoed a previous “card check” bill last year. Lawmakers would then have to decide whether to use their overwhelming majorities to override her veto, which they declined to do last year.

“This is an attempt to assist the middle class,” said Senate Labor Committee Chairman Dwight Takamine, D-Hilo-Honokaa. “The statistics point out that unionized workers in the state generally have a higher wage level.”

But Republicans argue unions have too much power in Hawaii and weigh down the state economy.

“Our favoritism against big business in favor of organized labor makes us uncompetitive,” said Sen. Fred Hemmings, R-Lanikai-Waimanalo. “Hawaii is in dire straights. Card check is another unfair advantage labor would have in the economy.”

Hawaii is already the second-most unionized state with 24.3 percent of workers belong to a union in 2008, nearly double the national average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only New York was unionized, at 24.9 percent. Nationwide, union members accounted for 12.4 percent of the wage and salary workers.

The bill would require employers to recognize unions after being presented union cards signed by a majority of eligible workers on their payrolls. Under current labor law, a company can demand a secret ballot election supervised by the federal government after being presented the union cards.

“If they feel they want a union, it gives them another option to create that union,” said Rep. Cindy Evans, D-Makalawena-Waimea.

Hawaii lawmakers estimated the bill would affect fewer than 6,500 employees in the state employed by eight or nine agricultural businesses.

The federal legislation that would cover many more business, known as the Employee Free Choice Act, could come to a vote later this year if Democrats can muster 60 votes in the Senate to overcome an expected Republican filibuster.

———

HB952: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/

(Single Page View) | Return to Paginated View



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