It is widely known that the national Democratic Party doesn't favor the right of workers to decide for themselves by way of a secret ballot whether or not it is in their best interest to organize a union at their place of work. If the Democratic establishment had their way, a mere "statement of interest" on the part of employees would be enough for a union to come in and force an organization on workers who may or may not support it. One would think that in Tennessee, a State with a tradition of independent thinkers and stubborn self-reliance, Democrats would welcome legislation which both guarantees the right of workers to bargain collectively as well as preserves the secret ballot for union elections.
Three Tennessee Democrats on the Tennessee House Employee Affairs Subcommittee apparently don't like the notion of workers in our State having the sovereign right to a secret ballot when deciding whether or not to organize. House Bill 1916 sponsored by Representative Susan Lynn (R-Mount Juliet) not only says that workers have the right to decide by secret ballot to unionize or not, but makes it illegal in Tennessee for a union to assume upon itself the ability to organize without a vote of employees taken by way of a secret ballot.
The House Employee Affairs Subcommittee has three Democrats and three Republicans. The Speaker has the right to break a tie with his vote, but he failed to do so in the case of this important legislation. Tennesseans ought to know that Democratic Representatives Sherry Jones of Nashville, Mike McDonald of Portland, Sumner County, and Gary Moore of Joelton, Davidson County, don't think enough of their right to self-determination to guarantee that right when voting whether or not to organize their place of employment.
At least for these Democrats, their party is the party of the people-so long as "the people" agree with them.
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