Motorcycle ride draws attention to pending legislation

By Tracy Buffington/Executive Editor
Monday, Jun 01, 2009 - 11:06:24 am CDT

With the roar of their Harley-Davidson motorcycles filling the air, supporters of the Employee Free Choice Act headed to one last stop on their ride Sunday.

The riders were off to Omaha to hold a rally in front of Sen. Mike Johanns’ office. That event capped off a day-long trip that started in Grand Island and included stops in Lincoln and Fremont, drawing attention to the act.

“We are here because we want to take back that most basic freedom (of choice),” said Scott Kleeb, who ran against Johanns in 2008. “And we’re going to do it in an incredibly symbolic way.

“We realize that we should stand stronger together. We realize that we should hold politicians accountable. ... We’re standing up for those basic things in our country.”

Kleeb, his wife, Jane, and Dan Hoppes, president of Local 22 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, talked during the brief rally at the Fremont union hall.

They were seeking additional support of the Employee Free Choice Act, which has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives but sits in the Senate. Democratic leaders are seeking 60 votes to prevent a Republican filibuster on the issue.

If approved, the act would change the procedures on how workers can unionize and implement new rules on what would happen when an initial contract can’t be agreed upon.

“This is the most significant piece of legislation for exactly who it is that politicians across this country, across this state, always say they’re going to stand for. And they’re not here,” Scott Kleeb said. “This is one of those opportunities to put forward a piece of legislation that matters in our lives.”

Hoppes called for change.

He describe a recent attempt to organize workers at Fremont Beef. Under the current system, an election is held and employees cast a secret ballot.

“Tell me about the secret ballot, folks,” Hoppes said. “Inside the plant, right next to the box where they cast their ballots was a big cake that said, ‘Vote no.’ And that’s permissible with what we have today. Things have to change. We cannot continue to go on like that.”

If the bill is approved, union organizers would need only to get a certain number of employees to sign cards authorizing representation.

Jane Kleeb said supporters of the act should not remind their senators where they stand.

“If you look at their votes just this session, you really see which senator is standing with working families,” she said, pointing out Sen. Ben Nelson voted for the children’s health insurance program, the stimulus package and a bill requiring equal pay for women.

Johanns voted against each of those bills, she said.

“We’re really confident if we continue to push, continue to hold events like this, continue to send the letters that we’ve been sending, that Sen. Nelson will stand with us on the Employee Free Choice Act,” she said. “It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen with Sen. Johanns, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to let him off the hook.”

Leave a Comment

All posts are subject to our Terms and Standards.
Your posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Email Address Required
   
mark
Jun 1, 2009 11:20 AM
Hey liberals need to get a life and better paying non-union job. Your worthless chants about helping the "little man" and "working families" is wore out and tiresome to read all the time. And just look what the unions did for the American Auto Industry....real nice. Thanks alot you pot smoking hippie liberals.
Village Idiot
Jun 1, 2009 11:39 AM
Elected officials are elected through a "secret" ballot, for some unexplained reason the same process is not fair for unions?
fremonter
Jun 1, 2009 11:48 AM
amen to u mark. people of this country need to wake up. unions are on the way out. they are not needed. they were instituted for the workers rights years ago, but have since been taken over by lets say (undiserable) elements. there are enough laws to protect the workers now, so why should the workers continue to pay for their jobs,and make the union bosses rich? as mark said about the autoworkers, it also applies to any and all workers in any field thats controlled by the unions. prices of everything would be alot less if it werent for the unions. no one is worth what the union people get paid.
Brian L
Jun 1, 2009 11:55 AM
The meat packing unions fight for illegal immigrant rights, yet claim they want to get you better wages. It is a lie. If the union wanted people to have a better wage, they would fight against illegal immigration, not for it. The union is basically the same thing as the communist labour parties of other countries. Just a way for liberal democrats to get money for elections. I agree with Mark... look what the wonderful union did to the auto industry. People don't need a union in order to get together and protest what they see as unfair
Susan Siebler
Jun 1, 2009 12:26 PM
I think a lot of people are really confused about this. The commercials on tv are confusing. I was glad the paper ran this article that makes it much clearer. I belonged to AFSCME when I worked for the city. In many cases unions are needed for employees to get the treatment they should have. People should not feel intimidated about joining one but in many cases they do or in speaking how to bring one in IF they are not sure it will really happen. They are afraid of retribution.
Susan Siebler
Jun 1, 2009 12:28 PM
I'm proud to be a hippie liberal and I never smoked pot once in my life.
Tom
Jun 1, 2009 1:24 PM
The only thing that unions care about is getting union dues. They don't care about the employees. They only care about how many people they can get to pay dues and how much money they can squeeze from them.
David in AR
Jun 1, 2009 3:16 PM
A union is a business out to do what any business wants to do, Make money.
With modern day labor laws we just
don't need the union anymore.
H8 Unions
Jun 1, 2009 4:17 PM
Competition doesn't kill companies, Unions kill companies. Is it just a coincidence that the automakers in trouble are held hostage by the UAW? You don't see Honda and Toyota wondering around with their hands out.
Kathy
Jun 1, 2009 6:54 PM
Let me get this straight - all it takes is a piece of cake to sway the vote?? Give me a break - it is ok for the unions to picket and intimidate people and keep hard working people from going to work without being harassed - and all along, all it takes is a piece of cake. WOW - some of the stupid stuff people say.........
Union1
Jun 1, 2009 9:17 PM
Every day i wake up and thank the good lord for Unions and all they have given this great nation! Without Unions nobody would have a 40 hour work week, safety rules or how about weekends?Overtime pay?Decent working conditions?Child labor laws? All these were pushed by Unions,Not greedy employers!When your enjoying these very important conditions you can thank the Unions of America!Your welcome!
If you thing you think your employer gives you anything out of the goodness of their hearts,your on dope!I find it funny there are so many union haters in the state of Nebraska,since Nebraska is part of the greatest Union,The United States of America!
By the way Mark the cost of labor in a UAW built vehicle is 6%! yea,i know how can that be?Could it be pathetic management? You can only blame the players so long,and then you have to look at the coach!
vicki molero
Jun 1, 2009 9:31 PM
If everybody that thinks unions are just a waste, then everybody that works in a union plant just voluntarily tell that company, "no thank you, I don't need a vacation, let alone a paid one, or You don't care how much your health insurance will cost, you'll gladly pay for it or you don't even want it, that you like getting harrassed or singled out by a stupidvisor with an attitude" This is just a few things that you can get with a union, but since Nebraska is a right to work state, everybody union or not reaps the benefits hard working organizers get accomplished. The car mess, along with the garment industry, and other plant failings are not because of unions, it's because of the NAFTA and GAT bills passed that sent US companies over seas. As far as pot smoking goes, it's probably cheaper than cigarettes with out the taxes, go figure!
whatever
Jun 1, 2009 10:29 PM
Union1 and vicki.... you both make great points about being able to work a 40 hr week, taking a vacation, safe working conditions, etc. The problem with unions is we now have all this stuff by law. Unions were needed 100 yrs ago, but not anymore. The big bad company cannot take advantage of the worker any longer because the government has rules they must abide or face legal action that can be very costly for a company. Unions are no longer needed for an employee to get a fair shake in today's company. Believe me, the business does not want to go to court for a reason that is one of our fair work conditions acts. But unions are a business, they want more members because their numbers are shrinking. this law is just a new way for them to try to acquire more members/dues/money in their pockets.
been there
Jun 1, 2009 10:53 PM
Ms Buffington:

Please try to be more informative when publishing these types of articles where you rely on 1 point of view:
Dan Hoppes, the "president" of Local 22 of the United Food and Commercial Workers" Obviously has no clue as to how NLRB supervised elections are held. There is NO Ballot box before the day of election and NO cake or any campaign literature allowed near the VOTING area (including (and especially) signs that say Vote NO!!). EFCA proponents are counting on people relying on the BS that they simply "Make up". Remember union officials like Hoppes collect their salaries from the dues they collect from union members. No wonder they want it to be easier to get more members especially unsuspecting immigrants and other workers in places like Freemont Beef !
Kathy
Jun 2, 2009 6:06 AM
Again, the things people say...if you aren't in a union you don't get vacation or sick time or are treated unfairly because you have an "attitude" ? PLEASE!! - the bad thing about the union is the slackers and trouble makers are treated just the same as the people who bust their butt to come to work, do their work and make up for the slackers hiding behind the union for protection. Just have a piece of cake and that will solve the problem.
Tired of Morons Used To Be Bobo
Jun 2, 2009 7:53 AM
Hey, Union1 & vicki:
From the Boston Globe (2005):
"At the company's annual meeting in Detroit, CEO Rick Wagoner told shareholders that health benefits add a staggering $1,500 to the price of every vehicle GM makes. GM will spend more than $5.6 billion this year on health coverage for 1.1 million people."

The article goes on to mention how only 160,000 of that 1.1 mil are current employees. Of that number, 120,000 are UAWer's who only pay 7% of their own healthcare while management pays 27%.

Unions suck, and they reward mediocrity.
So, maybe labor is only 6% of the costs. But healthcare alone adds another 7.5%. You've been brainwashed.
Susan Siebler
Jun 2, 2009 8:39 AM
You are naive if you believe that without unions everything will just be fine now. Yes, some businesses will treat you fairly, a lot of them will but even more will not and sometimes they just don't even get that it's not fair. Unions have their issues but they have really kept employers from running roughshod over workers. Unfortunately a lot of employers will just not treat employees correctly without that hammer over their heads. A lot of people would be working under sweat shop conditions if the unions hadn't been so tough.
Brian
Jun 2, 2009 9:15 AM
BTW Kevin, deadmont, & other liberals.
Gas is average 2.499 superunleaded & 2.599 reg unleaded as of this past weekend. With Obama's tax & energy policies that 2.499 will be 4.999 and the 2.599 will be 5.099 per gallon of gas. That does NOT include rising gas prices when the economy comes back. That is higher then the Bush's 4.00 gas you all complained about. That is how Obama gas prices will look on paper.
union yes
Jun 2, 2009 10:04 AM
Whatever, your point is what a lot of people think, but it's not actually true. You say, "you both make great points about being able to work a 40 hr week, taking a vacation, safe working conditions, etc. The problem with unions is we now have all this stuff by law." But actually, the law does NOT guarentee you a vacation or get good benefits, or health care or anything like that. Sorry. And even the stuff the law does mandate, like safe working conditions--well, the fines that companies have to pay are SO LOW when they break those laws that it's actually less expensive (far less expensive) for them to break the laws and just pay the fines, which they do all the time. That poor worker that got trampled to death at Wal-Mart in Jersey because of Wal-Mart's negligence? You know what the MAXIMUM fine is for that? Nine thousand dollars. That's it. And that's NOTHING to Wal-Mart. They probably laughed when they paid it.

So sorry, all of you who think you're protected under laws from abuse and mismanagement, that unions are unnessary because the law will protect you--think again. This is what corporate America and Republicans have tried to make you believe, so they can rake in the dough while middle class America dies a slow death. And I'm so sad that so many Americans just buy that line, and end up being slaves to big business against their own interests. Wait until it happens to you--until you're unjustly fired, until a loved one has a horrible injury at work, until you have to take time off for a family situation and end up losing your job--because you won't think unions are so outdated then. You'll be wishing someone was fighting for you.

And as for the comments about unions fighting for immigrants--it's true, unions are fighting for ALL people working in America, including immigrants. But that doesn't hurt American workers--it helps, because when immigrants workers are taken advantage of and paid less, it brings down wages and benefits for everyone in the industry. When immigrants get paid a fair wage, all American workers benefit when their own wages rise. Companies are trying to divide workers and make them hate immigrants so that the companies can continue to exploit them. Whatever you think about immigration, we have to take a stand against companies who play this "game" and instead demand better wages and benefits for all workers.

Some of you seem determined to be played by big business. The rest of us can stand up and demand real change--and the unions are on our side for that. Unions may not be perfect, but at least their job is to represent workers, not make even more money for companies.
Question
Jun 2, 2009 1:05 PM
Perhaps I misunderstood the issue here. I thought the Employee Free Choice Act is about the right to use a secret ballot when voting a union in or not. I understand that to mean that I can vote for or against, and be able to do that by secret ballot - no one gets to know how I specifically voted unless I want to tell them.

After what I have read here - I would not want any one from Fremont knowing how I vote - either way.
Commone Sense
Jun 2, 2009 1:18 PM
Ha! It cracks me up "protesting corporate greed." Unions are just as large of a business. 50 years ago they served a valid purpose and were crucial in creating safer more regulated workplaces. Now, we have laws to protect those rights and unions exist solely as a parasite! Union organizers already have way too many unscrupulous methods, why make it easier?? Wake up America. Unions are nothing but a self-serving joke. Join the rest of us who are successful due to hard work and initiative, not becuase we file a grievance and whine.
bobos buddy
Jun 2, 2009 4:58 PM
Union members slogan is gimme more---benefits generally is the target. Be happy with you have and quit thinking you are entitled to anything more.

In my world, lawn mowing, we have no union and generally any fringe benefit I receive is money out of my own pocket.

Unions are ran by the same type of people they negotitate with for salaries and benefits. Union bosses and Corporate execs come from the same mold and the real middle class family pays at the check out---I say get rid of them both.
vicki
Jun 2, 2009 6:02 PM
I'll take real expensive cheese and crackers with my whine. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!
whatever
Jun 3, 2009 8:15 AM
Question- the way things are now with the unions there is a secret ballot to vote yes or no on a union. This law will change that in the way of if a union can get over 50% of a group of employees to simply fill out a card that they may be interested in forming a union they will automatically have a union even without a vote simply because more than 50% signed a card. This is a deceptive move that could establish unions by the confusion that you yourself have. People would sign a card wanting more information and would end up in a union with no further vote. This bill would actually do away with the secret ballot and those that want the opportunity to vote no would not be given their chance to vote.
Print This Story Email This Story

Blogs

Calendar of Events

Photos