LTC 165-2007 Attached response from Senator John McCain regarding Resolution No. 2007-26572m MIAMIBEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # 165-2007
LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor David Dermer and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manag
DATE: July 13, 2007
SUBJECT: Attached response from Senator John McCain regarding Resolution No.
2007-26572.
Pursuant to the direction of the City Commission at the June 6, 2007 Commission Meeting,
the City Clerk transmitted Resolution No. 2007-26572, A Resolution Urging the U.S.
Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act To Protect and Preserve Worker's
Freedom To Join A Union, to the 540 members of the U.S. Congress.
Attached for your perusal is the response from Senator McCain from Arizona.
C: Jose Smith, City Attorney
JMG: REP
c~ o
a
;-~ ~
r-' r ,.~
f~"i ~
rn
~ ~
~n ~ f't'i
-r~ •• Q
t') ~
;-? N
F:\CLER\$ALL\LILLY\LTC's 2007\Itcresponsefromsenatorjohnmccainfromarizona.doc
JOHN MCCAIN
ARIZONA
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS
~nit~ ~tate~ senate
June 28, 2007
Mr. Robert E. Parcher
City Clerk
17000 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Dear Mr. Parcher:
241 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20510-0303
(2021224-2235
5353 NORTH 16TH STREET
SUITE 105
PHOENIX, AZ 85016
(6021952-2410
4703 SOUTH LAKESHORE DRIVE
SUITE i
TEM PE, AZ 85282
(480)897-6289
407 WEST CONGRESS STREET
SUITE 103
TucsoN, AZ 85701
(520)670-6334
TELEPHONE FOR HEARING IMPAIRED
(6021952-0170
Thank you for contacting me regarding the issue of secret
ballot union elections. I appreciate you sharing your views with
me.
As you may know, the National Labor Relations Act is a law
that protects the right of private sector workers to engage in
union activity and collective bargaining. Furthermore, this Act
allows, but does not require, secret ballot elections. Employees
or a union may request a secret ballot election from the National
Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to determine the employees'
bargaining representative. The alternative to this is an
employer may voluntarily recognize a union without a secret
ballot election. According to the NLRB, approximately 3,000
secret ballot elections are conducted every year and about 300
employers voluntarily recognize a union.
Several bills have been introduced in the 110t1' Congress
that would change the procedures which workers choose to join, or
not join, a union. S. 1041, the Employee Free Choice Act,
pending before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Committee, would replace secret ballot elections with a card
check recognition and would increase penalties for unfair labor
practices committed by employers. S. 1312, the Secret Ballot
Protection Act of 2007, would amend the National Labor Relations
Act to ensure the right of employees to a secret ballot election
conducted by the NLRB. Although I am not a member of this
Committee, please be assured that I will keep your views in mind
should the full Senate consider this bill.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your concerns
with me. Please feel free to contact me in the future on this
matter or any other issue of interest.
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Sincerely,
ohn McCain
United States Senator
JM/