South Carolina Senate Republican Caucus

Columbia, SC – March 10, 2010 – South Carolina’s Republican Senators today moved two key bills being pushed by the state’s business community.  The Senate passed the anti-card check bill protecting workers from union intimidation. It also set legislation on special order creating a constitutional cap on state spending.

H.3305, introduced by Rep. Eric Bedingfield, is a constitutional amendment that would guarantee a worker’s right to voting by secret ballot during union organization. The legislation is a reaction to the deceptively named federal “Employee Free Choice Act,” which would strip workers of their right to vote for unionization by secret ballot, opening them up to intimidation and harassment by unions. The legislation is being pushed on the federal level by union bosses and their liberal allies in Congress.

The bill was passed on the heels of an announcement by Boeing executive Jim Albaugh that union work problems were the top reason for their departure from Washington. Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler (R-Cherokee), lead sponsor of the Senate companion bill stated” Boeing’s decision to expand its facility near Charleston serves as a reminder why we must protect our tough right-to-work laws. We are sending a strong message to the world: We want your business, and we’re committed to getting it.”

President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell(R-Charleston) said “I don’t know of anything more basic to the essence of our nation than the right to a secret ballot election.”