In Minnesota the State Senate Passes a Bill That Allows Some Health Care Workers to Vote Over Republican Objections

Well Vote to Join a Union if They Wish – But Republicans Just Hate Voting Rights

The right of a group of people to vote on various issues would seem to be a bedrock of democracy.  But among Republicans, if they don’t like the issue then they don’t want to people to have the right to vote.  This is evident in their undying quest to restrict the voting opportunities in states for groups that don’t vote Republican.

In Minnesota the state Senate has debated and now passed a bill allowing some health care workers to vote to decide if they want to join or form a union.  No the bill does not require a union, it just lets workers decide.  Republicans were furious.

An all-night, 17-hour debate prompted by furious GOP opposition ended with a victory for unions seeking to organize care-workers on Wednesday.

The Senate, which began debating the unionization bill at 3 p.m. Tuesday, approved the bill on a 35-32 vote around 8:15 a.m. Wednesday.

The issue that caused the ruckus was a DFL-backed plan to allow certain in-home child care workers and in-home personal care attendants to vote on whether to unionize. The bill was backed by the two unions seeking to organize the workers -- the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Service Employees International Union.

It has been bitterly opposed by Republicans, many child-care providers and conservative organizations.

Now this Forum is not a great fan of unions who work in the area of public services because they sometimes tend to put their own welfare above that of the public, thus harming both the public and themselves.  But it seems that the right to vote to join a union is an integral part of democracy.  And that statement tells everyone which side the Republicans are on when it comes to democracy.

Senate Minority Leader David Hann, R-Eden Prairie and other Republican foes attacked the bill as something child-care providers do not want, as a payoff to DFL-supporting unions, and as an unnecessary intrusion of government into the private sector.

"This is a horrible, horrible bill -- the worst bill in my 11 years," said Sen. Dave Senjem, R-Rochester.

Gosh Dave, we think not allowing voters to vote for you would be a great thing.  Yes that would be anti-democratic, but then isn’t anti-democracy a part of your core beliefs?  And tell us Dave, don't you just miss the old Soviet Union and Saddam Hussein's Iraq.  There was where government insured that voting was free and open, as long as voters voted the 'right' way.