Coalition for a Democratic Workplace: National Survey Findings

1. Coalition for a Democratic Workplace:National Survey Findings By:John McLaughlin January 2009 On the webwww.mclaughlinonline.com

2. Presentation Outline • Methodology • Major Findings • Secret Ballots vs. Card Signing McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

3. Methodology:This poll of 1,000 likely general election voters in the United States was conducted between January 7-11, 2009. An oversample of 193 union households was conducted, which brings the combined total of union households to 400. All interviews were conducted via telephone by professional interviewers. Interview selection was random within predetermined election units – in this case, the fifty states. These units were structured to correlate with actual voter turnout in a general election. This poll of 1,000 likely general election voters has an accuracy of +/- 3.1% at a 95% confidence interval. The 400 sample of union households has an accuracy of +/- 4.9% at a 95% confidence interval. McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

4. Major Findings Three in four voters, at a 5 to 1 ratio (74%-15%), oppose Congress replacing the private ballot with card check.2. More than 4 in 5 voters (86%-8%), say a worker’s vote to form a union should remain private. Voters believe a worker’s privacy is paramount. 3. Eighty-two percent of the voters (82%) say the a secret ballot is the best way to protect the individual rights of workers. 4. Seventy-two percent (72%) of union households agree that it is “risky and unwise” to leave their fate up to arbitration. McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

5. Major Findings 5. Two in three voters (62%-26%), say that Card Check is not Democratic and that union organizers will abuse the process and intimidate the workers.6. Three in four voters (73%-15%), say they should protect a worker’s right to a private ballot and fix certain aspects of the process.7. 4 in 5 voters (79%-13%), say Congress should wait and focus on other issues and let the businesses and labor unions come to an agreement on their own. 8. 3 in 4 voters (77%-12%), prefer unions and employers come to an agreement vs. a federal arbitrator imposing a contract. McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

6. Major Findings 9. 6 in 10 voters (61%-13%), are less likely to vote for a candidate for Congress who votes for Card Check.10. Union household voters seem content with their unions and see corporations as more of a threat. However, most voters who are not in a union would be opposed to joining a union. 11. The majority of voters (52%-25%), believe that forcing businesses to use union workers will cost Americans jobs.12. By a 5 to 3 majority (54%-33%), most voters oppose requiring appointing a federal arbitrator to impose contracts. By a 2 to 1 majority (52%-26%), they believe this will cost Americans jobs. McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

7. 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? Total Sample Union Households Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

8. With a federally supervised secret ballot election, each worker’s ballot remains private. With the card signing process, the information would be made public and union organizers, employers and co-workers would know how each worker voted. In deciding whether to organize a union, do you think a worker’s vote should remain private or be public information? Total Sample Union Household Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

9. 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. Total Sample Union Household Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

10. The Employee Free Choice Act would require 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. Knowing this, who do agree with more?Supporters who say signing a card is democratic and the most effective way to determine the wishes of a majority of workers and is necessary to avoid anti-democratic employer coercion such as controlling wages, controlling working hours and conditions and threatening to fire workers.OR,Opponents who say this process is anti-democratic because it takes away a worker’s right to have a federally supervised secret ballot election where their votes remain private. The card signing process allows union organizers to show up at the worker’s home to get their signature, which gives the union organizers the opportunity to abuse the process and intimidate the workers into giving their signature. Total Sample Union Household Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

11. Who do agree with more? Supporters of the card signing process who say workers need a democratic alternative to the current election process because it’s broken. They claim that the current election procedures allow employers to delay elections for months and give employers almost unlimited access to employees while union supporters have almost none. OR, Opponents of the card signing process who say it doesn’t fix the problem it only makes it worse by taking away a worker’s right to have a federally supervised secret ballot election. They say it would be better to fix certain aspects of the current election process than throw out federally supervised secret ballot elections which are the cornerstone of our democracy. Total Sample Union Household Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

12. In these tough economic times, labor unions are pushing for new laws that will make it easier to force workers into labor unions without a secret ballot by the workers. If more American businesses are then forced by federal law to use union workers, do you believe it will help American workers keep their jobs, or will they see more businesses close and American workers will lose their jobs? Total Sample Union Household Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

13. Now that you have heard about this issue of union organizing elections, do you feel this is an issue Congress should focus on right now, OR, should Congress focus on other issues like jobs and healthcare first and wait until this issue could be solved in a compromise between businesses and labor unions on their own. Union Household Only Union Household Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

14. As part of The Employee Free Choice Act, would you favor or oppose a new federal law requiring that after only 4-months of negotiations if management and labor unions cannot come to an agreement, the federal government would appoint a government arbitrator who would force a 2-year binding labor contract on the private business? Total Sample Union Household Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

15. Do you think that if American businesses are forced by a federal government arbitrator to pay their workers wages and benefits set by a federally imposed government contract,it will help keep labor jobs in America, orwill it cost America jobs? Total Sample Union Household Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

16. Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statements regarding Government imposed contracts between businesses and labor unions?It’s unnecessarily risky and unwise to place the fate of a company and the jobs and livelihood of the employees, and their families, in hands of a federal government bureaucrat, who may lack much business experience and know little to nothing about the company, its business operations, the industry in which it operates and the financial pressure and competition the company may face. Total Sample Union Household Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

17. Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for a member of Congress who voted in favor of taking away a worker’s right to have a federally supervised secret ballot election to decide whether to organize a union? Total Sample Union Household Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

18. Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for a member of Congress who voted to guarantee worker protection through the continued use of a federally supervised secret ballot election so that personal decisions about whether to join a union remain private? Total Sample Union Household Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

19. Do you, or does anyone in your household, belong to a public or government employees’ union, a teachers’ association or a private or other labor union? Total Household Union Household Only McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com

20. If your workplace was deciding whether or not to organize a union, would you want to join a union? Total Sample McLaughlin & Associates www.mclaughlinonline.com