Raleigh, N.C. - Capital Associated Industries, Inc, (CAI), the largest membership employers’ association in the state, is working on a lobbying campaign to influence state lawmakers to vote against HS 1583, an act to give unions the ability to negotiate with state and local government.
“The bill is likely to be discussed this session and we wanted to make sure lawmakers know where we stand,” says Bruce Clarke, president and CEO of CAI, who has been working in the human resources industry for over 25 years. “Our postcards show why supporting public employee unions in North Carolina is a bad idea.”
CAI’s lobbying campaign is a joint effort with the Employer’s Coalition of North Carolina, The Employer’s Association (Charlotte), and WCI (Asheville), and consists of a series of postcards, which are sent to each state lawmaker. The first and second mailings dropped just as the session was getting started.
Like Clarke, those opposing the bill say public employee unions will bring unnecessary costs and inefficiencies, pressure on the tax base, reduced service quality to the private sector, and damage to the overall business climate.
According to the Employer’s Coalition of North Carolina, the state is one of at least 14 in the nation that seriously restricts or prohibits collective bargaining rights for public employees. Only 3% of North Carolina’s workforce is unionized.
“Lawmakers need to understand the unintended consequences of public employee unions,” says Clarke. “Visit any state that endures the political battles, strikes, and workplace confusion brought on by unions and see what they say.”
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About CAI, Inc. CAI is a non-profit employers’ association founded in 1963 and serves the greater Research Triangle, Piedmont Triad, and 65 central and eastern counties in North Carolina. With offices in Raleigh and Greensboro, CAI provides 1000 member companies with management information, day-to-day telephone guidance, and training and human resources services. To learn more about CAI, visit their Web site at: http://www.capital.org
