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Democracy Up For Grabs This Election

Sanctity of Worker Rights Are Hand-In-Hand With Small Business Viability
Washington, DC—During a tense election season, the theme of “election integrity” has emerged as a primary
thread in battleground states across the nation, and not just at the polling places themselves. Small businesses,
and the employees who work in them, are under assault. Leaders of a nationally-active small business advocacy
organization are available to your radio show to discuss this.

“One would think that after over 200 years of elections, the electoral process in this nation would have
gotten stronger,” says Andrew Langer, President of the Institute for Liberty. “But those who should be
the strongest supporters of ensuring ballot integrity are apparently willing to sacrifice their ideals for the
sake of gaining political power. Democracy is clearly up for grabs, not only at the ballot box, but in
workplaces as well.”

At issue is a process called “card check”, a union organizing tactic in which the sanctity of the secret ballot
process is sacrificed so that a labor union can more easily unionize a business. It is especially hard-hitting for
small businesses, which, because of the generally close relationships owners have with their employees, are
notoriously difficult to organize. Card check allows union organizers to easily intimidate workers into joining a
union, even if might otherwise be unwilling.

“Small businesses represent a huge target of opportunity for organized labor,” says Kerri Houston, IFL’s
Senior Vice President for Policy. “ Small businesses create 60% of all new jobs, and unions see those jobs
as their next source of lifeblood. 90% of businesses in America have fewer than 20 employees—and once
those small business owners lose control of their businesses, the entire foundation of our economy
(already at risk) becomes even more shaky.”

The Institute for Liberty is a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC. It studies the impact of federal
executive branch policies on small business and entrepreneurship. Andrew Langer is currently writing a book
on these issues. Its title is, “The War on Small Business.”

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Contact IFL: (202) 261-6592