Safeguarding Workplace Freedom

International automakers play a pivotal role in Alabama's economy, contributing significantly to job creation, economic growth, and community development. These employers provide $72 billion annually in federal, state, and local tax revenue hat helps pay for essential public services. These companies, like Hyundai provide good-paying jobs with benefits that on average cover 90% of health care premiums for workers without unions. The downstream effects of these quality jobs have contributed immeasurably to Central Alabama's economic growth.

The UAW's aggressive campaign to unionize Alabama's international automaking workers poses a threat to the very essence of workplace freedom and economic prosperity that initially made Alabama such an attractive place to set up shop. Make no mistake. I support the hard-earned right of every worker to decide if joining the union is right for them. But the UAW's campaign impinges on that right in creative and cynical ways.

One of the most alarming aspects of the UAW's strategy is their attempt to control the narrative around unionization. The push for card checks, a process where workers publicly declare their stance on union representation, undermines the fundamental right to a secret ballot and privacy. This method exposes employees to undue pressure, coercion, and intimidation. By securing enough signatures through card checks, unions can potentially bypass a supervised secret ballot election, silencing the voices of dissenting workers. Efforts to legislatively mandate card check have faltered, but recent decisions by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) threaten to undermine the sanctity of secret ballots.

Furthermore, the UAW and its political allies intend to restrict and police the flow of information to workers. "Neutrality agreements" are being coerced upon employers, preventing them from discussing the potential drawbacks of unionization with workers effectively silencing employers' First Amendment rights. Neutrality agreements leave workers with only the union's perspective, inhibiting their ability to make informed decisions and compromising their privacy. This push to control information raises serious questions about the motives behind limiting employees' exposure to diverse viewpoints.

Together, card checks and neutrality agreements limit worker freedom and restrict workers' rights to control their own future. Alabama's right-to-work law has protected worker freedom and helped Alabama attract big employers, but it faces limitations in fully protecting workers from overbearing unions. While these laws grant individual workers the choice not to join or pay union dues, unions still maintain exclusive bargaining rights, restricting direct communication between workers and management. This undermines the principle of workplace freedom, as employees find their autonomy constrained by union contracts, irrespective of their personal choices.

Safeguarding workplace freedom requires vigilance against the tactics employed by unions like the UAW. Protecting the right to a secret ballot and ensuring transparent

information dissemination are crucial steps toward preserving the economic prosperity driven by international automakers. Policymakers, employers, and workers should

collaborate to create an environment that fosters genuine workplace freedom and individual choice.

Will Barfoot represents District 25 which includes Crenshaw, Elmore & Montgomery counties in the Alabama Senate.