Harkin stands with Big Labor, not Iowans or workers

Amana Colonies woolen mill

Easily one of the most out-of-touch US senators is Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat. My western neighbor is a right-to-work state, but Harkin seems to think he represents unions in the upper chamber, not people from the Hawkeye State, or workers elsewhere.

From an op-ed in The Hill by Fred Wszolek for the Workforce Fairness Institute:

Recent polling demonstrates that three quarters of voters think the country is going in the wrong direction, yet some on Capitol Hill believe their allegiance to a special interest group, namely union bosses, supersedes the interests of hardworking American families. There's really no other way to read a recent op-ed by Senator Tom Harkin in The Hill. As Chairman of the Senate committee responsible for labor matters, Harkin has done little outside carry Big Labor's water.

In spite of overwhelming evidence that labor bosses are calling the shots in the Obama Administration, Harkin has looked the other way as employees have lost their jobs and employers have closed their doors due to the unprecedented regulatory assault. Businesses themselves have stated repeatedly that regulations are generating uncertainty and inhibiting their ability to help our nation recover economically. Yet insulated from the concerns of everyday Americans simply struggling to survive, some in Congress choose to ignore what they are being told by their own constituents.

The reality is that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) represents everything that is wrong in Washington, D.C. and those supporting the regulatory agency are just as responsible for their job-killing agenda as the board members themselves. The NLRB is supposedly an "independent" agency seeking to address matters between unions and employers in the private sector in an evenhanded manner, yet nothing could be further from the truth. Even former NLRB members have protested the current board's aggressive stance against employers in an effort to forcibly unionize employees.

Most recently, the NLRB has undertaken an effort to close the window for union elections from a median time of 38 days to as little as 10. The proposed rule known as "quickie" or "ambush" elections is anti-worker and anti-employer. It would deprive a small business owner of a meaningful opportunity to express his/her views on unionization. It would also deny employees the right to hear all sides and make an informed choice.

Harkin schemed until last year to find a way--he failed, thankfully--to enact union card check--which would have been a major job killer.

Related post:

Marathon Pundit's Iowa I Opener

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