Aftertastes

Unions prefer card check to secret-ballot elections largely because it is more successful in unionizing shops; in fact they argue that the election process has grown so unfair that it has become a major reason for the decline in union membership among private-sector employees. The unions argue that the 40-day or 60-day campaign before a union election is skewed in favor of an employer, as union organizers are barred from company property. The employer, meanwhile, has 24/7 access to employees and can hold group or one-on-one meetings or take other steps to turn the workforce against unionization. Employers argue that the campaign process is fair — and say private-sector membership is in decline because unions have an obsolete message, which they don’t sell very well. (via Answers About the Nation’s Labor Laws and Unions, Part 1 - NYTimes.com)