University of Miami 2006 Custodial Workers' Strike - Card Check or Secret Ballot?

Card Check or Secret Ballot?

A central issue in the strike was if the custodial workers could unionize by signing pledge cards, as advocated by SEIU and the striking workers, or whether, as UNICCO supported until May 1, 2006, such a vote should be held secretly and run by the National Labor Relations Board. UNICCO and other supporters of a secret ballot argued that a secret ballot was preferable because it protected voting workers from intimidation and harassment. Both methods of unionization, however, are allowed under US law.

UNICCO wanted the decision made by a National Labor Relations Board election, in which a majority of voting workers would determine the outcome. Since no one is required to vote in an NLRB election, a decision to unionize or not could be determined by a minority of workers. Striking workers and the SEIU, on the other hand, advocated a public card-check process that would result in a union only if a majority of all the workers employed by UNICCO signed cards indicating that they wanted a union. According to the SEIU, 56% of the workers signed non-binding pledge cards expressing their intention to join the union.

UNICCO representatives generated the slogan "Let 'em vote" to support an NLRB-election. UM faculty generated the slogan "Let 'em choose," and the workers generated the slogan "Let us choose" to support card check as the method of unionization.