CDW Urges Congress to Reject Anti-Worker Policies Snuck into America COMPETES Act
On February 3, CDW sent a letter to the full House of Representatives calling on them to oppose the America COMPETES Act (H.R. 4521) “due to the last-minute addition of provisions within the Manager’s Amendment that strips employees of their right to a secret ballot in union representation elections and their right to vote on their collective bargaining agreement.”
The Manager’s Amendment included two provisions that infringe on the rights of workers in union organizing drives. One provision strips workers of their right to a secret ballot election in representation elections, needlessly exposing those workers to intimidation, coercion, and harassment. The other provision would force mandatory arbitration on the workforce, depriving workers of the opportunity to vote on their collective bargaining agreements. This is an invitation for bankruptcies, job loss, and government bailouts and could destabilize labor relations by encouraging parties to bargain in bad faith.
As our letter explains, “These provisions do not increase our competitiveness with China, as the America COMPETES Act is intended to do, but will instead undermine it. These provisions will destabilize our economy and disenfranchise workers of their right to vote their conscience.”