Mr. SOUDER. Madam Chairman, well, renaming things does not change the facts. A few minutes ago we just heard that somehow the Pledge of Allegiance has something to do with banning secret ballots, and that somehow those of us who favor private elections and secret ballots are anti-God. I just simply do not understand the escalation of that rhetoric.
Secondly, one of the senior Members of the other party was just down in the well and said why are we Republicans complaining about a secret ballot, more or less admitting that is what, in fact, they are eliminating, saying that votes are publicly posted. We represent, as Mr. Kline said earlier, 700,000 people. Think why you wouldn't want your vote posted. Are we heading towards posting in private elections and fall elections where there is no longer the secrecy of the private voting box? If you posted who you voted for, you could be subject to all sorts of discrimination.
The practical fact here, as I said earlier in the rules debate, is an individual is going to be approached to sign his card that would circumvent a secret ballot. Then other people are going to come up to him. Furthermore, through salting, there are likely to be organizers inside that workplace putting further pressure on him. He may get shunned. He doesn't have the right to change his mind. There are all sorts of subtle, indirect, direct, physical, verbal, and business pressures put when you lose a secret ballot. A card is denying the vote. It is denying the secret ballot, and no tricky wording can change the fundamental fact of what is happening here.
I would like to insert into the Record a letter from 16 Members of Congress led by the distinguished chairman of this committee, Mr. Miller, that was sent to Mexico regarding the right to a secret ballot. What he says in this letter, and we have heard it described several ways, that it had to do with a particular question around a particular Mexican election. It states: ``We are writing to encourage you to use a secret ballot in all union recognition elections.'' Apparently what is good for the Mexican worker is not good for U.S. workers.
August 29, 2001.
JUNTA LOCAL DE CONCILIACION Y ARBITRAJE DEL ESTADO DE PUEBLA, LIC. ARMANDO POXQUI QUINTERO,
7 Norte, Numero 1006 Altos, Colonia Centro, Puebla, Mexico C.P. 72000.
DEAR MEMBERS of THE JUNTA LOCAL DE CONCILIACION Y ARBITRAJE of THE STATE of PUEBLA: As members of Congress of the United States who are deeply concerned with international labor standards and the role of labor rights in international trade agreements, we are writing to encourage you to use the secret ballot in all union recognition elections.
We understand that the secret ballot is allowed for, but not required, by Mexican labor law. However, we feel that the secret ballot is absolutely necessary in order to ensure that workers are not intimidated into voting for a union they might not otherwise choose.
We respect Mexico as an important neighbor and trading partner, and we feel that the increased use of the secret ballot in union recognition elections will help bring real democracy to the Mexican workplace.
Sincerely,
George Miller, Marcy Kaptur, Bernard Sanders, William J. Coyne, Lane Evans, Bob Filner, Martin Olav Sabo, Barney Frank, Joe Baca, Zoe Lofgren, Dennis J. Kucinich, Calvin M. Dooley, Fortney Pete Stark, Barbara Lee, James P. McGovern, Lloyd Doggett.
