WASHINGTON – Legislation was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 1176) and the U.S. Senate (S. 478) that would ensure workers retain the right to a secret ballot when choosing whether to form a union. The bills have 103 and 18 co-sponsors respectively, according to the American Meat Institute.

Introduced by Congressman John Kline, R-Minn., in the House and Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., in the Senate, the Secret Ballot Protection Act would ensure all employees have the opportunity to choose whether or not to join a union under the protection of a secret ballot. The secret ballot keeps the workers vote private and reduces the ability for coercion or intimidation to occur.

The measure is meant to counter the so-called "Employee Free Choice Act", which would allow unions to be recognized without having to hold a secret ballot election, A.M.I. said. Under E.F.C.A., unions would only have to get a majority of workers to sign cards authorizing unionization. E.F.C.A. has yet to be introduced in the 111th Congress.

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