Newt Gingrich - Unions

Summary

Congressman Gingrich strongly opposes the implementation of the Employee Free Choice Act. He has repeatedly referred to the legislation as a payback to the organized labor unions that supports Democratic politicians. He has stated that a vast majority of US citizens support the continuation of a secret ballot for the creations of unions.

Employee Free Choice Act

In a March 2007 article for Human Events, Congressman Gingrich expressed his opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act.

Exhibit A: The Big Labor Payback Act

Now to the evidence for the emerging leftwing machine.

Exhibit A was the March 1 vote in the House of Representatives on the so-called "Employee Free Choice Act." This bill should have been called "the American Worker Coercion Act." It literally strips American workers of the right to a secret ballot in deciding whether or not to unionize their company. It exposes every worker to intimidation and coercion tactics from the union seeking to get their dues money.

The hypocrisy of this bill was revealed in a 2001 letter signed by the bill's main sponsor, Rep. George Miller (D.-Calif.) and 11 other members who voted for the bill. The letter was addressed to Mexican government officials and it urged them to protect secret ballots for Mexican workers because -- and these are the exact words -- "we feel that the secret ballot is absolutely necessary in order to ensure that workers are not intimidated into voting for a union they might not otherwise choose."

In a June 2007 article for Human Events, Congressman Gingrich referred to the Employee Free Choice Act as a big labor payback.

The Big Labor Payback Act Is Back

Earlier this year in "Winning the Future," I warned you about an emerging left-wing political machine.

The left-wing machine is an alliance of activists and union leaders dedicated to their mutual benefit -- at the expense of the American people. I was convinced that it's a real threat when Speaker Nancy Pelosi's new Democratic majority in the House voted in March to strip American workers of the right to a secret ballot in deciding whether or not to unionize.

They approved something called the "Employee Free Choice Act" which gives employees the kind of "choice" favored by Tony Soprano -- the kind you can't refuse. It exposes every American worker to coercion and intimidation by unions that are attempting to get their dues money. It was the Democrats' version of payback for union support in last year's elections.

And now it's back. The Senate is scheduled to begin debating the bill today. A vote could come as early as Wednesday. Let's make sure that vote is a vote to defeat union strong-arm tactics and to defend American workers. Call your Senator and tell him or her to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act. Let the Senate know that everyone else may have forgotten about this big labor payback act, but we're still paying attention.

Restoring the Republican Brand

In May of 2008, Congressman Gingrich issued an article noting 9 things that the GOP could do to re-establish the brand. One of those items was oppose the Employee Free Choice Act.

Protect the workers' right to a secret ballot. The vast majority (around 81%) of Americans believe that American workers have a right to have a secret ballot election before they are forced to join a union. Last year the House Democrats passed a bill that would strip American workers of the secret ballot. A new bill should be introduced reaffirming that right, and it should be brought up again and again until marginal Democrats are forced to vote with the American people against the union power structure.

New Hampshire Debate

In June of 2011, Congressman Gingrich participated in the Republican Primary debate in New Hampshire. He stated during that debate that he believed that the NLRB should be defunded and there should be a national right to work law.

JOSH MCELVEEN, WMUR POLITICAL REPORTER: Thank you, John. Good evening, candidates.

Governor Pawlenty, the possibility exists that New Hampshire could soon become the 23rd state to pass right to work legislation. Unions don't like it because they feel it making membership volunteer. We can organize labor, you know, you've seen the protest in your home state of Minnesota.

My question is, where do you fall on right to work and would you support a federal right-to-work law?

...

KING: Mr. Speaker, I assume you agree. And as you come into the conversation, one of the criticisms -- you tell me whether it's fair or not. One of the criticisms has been, as you watch some of these governors deal with this issue across the country, that some people say there's a tone about it. That they seem to be trying to demonize public employees or union workers.

GINGRICH: Well, that's a totally different question. The question that's asked was right to work. And one of the things the Congress should do immediately is defund the National Labor Relations Board which has gone into South Carolina to punish Boeing, which wants to put 8,000 American jobs in South Carolina by fundamentally eliminating right-to-work at the National Labor Relations Board.

That's a real, immediate threat from the Obama administration to eliminate right to work. And I think that it is fundamentally the wrong direction. I hope that New Hampshire does adopt right-to-work. I frankly keep it at the state level because as each new state becomes right to work, they send a signal to the remaining states, don't be stupid.

Why you want to be at California's unemployment level when you can be Texas's employment level? Or North Dakota's?

And I think, Kevin (ph), that if you believe in the 10th Amendment, we ought to -- let the states learn from each other. And the right-to-work states are creating a lot more jobs today that they heavily unionized states. The public employee union question is a totally different issue.

Sponsored and Cosponsored Legislation

This representative has not been identified as sponsoring or cosponsoring significant legislation related to this title.

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