I live down the street from the North American headquarters of Home Depot. The cheap broadcast radio around town is running a cut rate commercial that goes something like this.

"Jim Martin wants to take away your right to have a secret ballot. He's with the liberals! "

Its insane. They are sooo scared of fair wage, fair pay. They pay themselves 200 million dollars a year salary and if someone wants to get enough money to be able to feed their family and have a normal life, its katie-bar-the-door.

Isn't Home Despot well known for cruising in their restrooms?  It's the kind of place Larry Craig loves to shop!

You do realize it takes away the private vote in forming a union, right?

Actual, it doesn't. The Employee Free Choice Act preserves the choice of whether workers organize through a private vote or majority sign up. Hence the phrasing of "choice" in the name of the Act.

Disclosure: I proudly work for the SEIU.

It allows for two ways of forming unions, which is exactly what happens now on a smaller scale.

The Employee Free Choice Act lets a majority of workers who want a union to get their union, something that they don't have now.  

If 30% of workers want to use a "secret ballot," they can do so.  If 51% say they definitely want a union, they can get their union, in a process called "majority sign-up."  More than 500,000 people have joined unions the latter way in the last 5 years.

This is about leveling the playing field for working people to help rebuild the middle class.

Here's what happens when workers try to form unions now:  

What the Employee Free Choice Act does prevent is an employer manipulating the flawed system to influence the election outcome.  When faced with organizing campaigns: 25 percent of employers illegally fire pro-union workers; 51 percent of employers illegally threaten to close down worksites if the union prevails; and, 34 percent of employers coerce workers into opposing the union with bribes and favoritism.

I'd prefer a corrupt union over a greedy corrupt corporation.

EFCA (and right to choose) is the primary reason why I voted for Obama.  
I much much preferred McCain on foreign policy issues, and McCain was quite good on the environment too.

Uprated to counter ratings abuse.  That is in no way a troll comment.

I was an assistant store manager for Home Depot for almost six years. Bernie left the company in 1999 because he was running it into the ground. He's got nothing to do with the current company, at all.

Me too.

Another reason to call it "Home Despot".

Guys, again, they don't even own any Home Depot stock anymore! Jesus Christ with the knee-jerk reactions. Chill out.

wrote Wal-Mart, meant Home Depot...

He isn't the CEO anymore, he retired in 2002.

Was make manufacturing jobs pay decent wages and benefits.  It's not the unions' fault that the big 3 built lousy gas-guzzlers that were hard to sell when gas prices skyrocketed.  It's also not the unions' fault that foreign companies sheltered in "Right to screw your employees over" states don't have to pay pensions or health care for their retirees.  That's Congress' fault!  The EFCA will help level the playing field.  So will universal health care.

As to "happy workers" and "productive plants," the plants are decades newer, and the workers would be happier with job security, better pay, and benefits.  The workers are also just happy to have a job, because without a union, the bosses can fire them any time they please.

"why is the automotive sector doing so well in AL?  MS?  SC?  NC?"

Because japanese automakers didn't put all their eggs in SUVs.  

The market share of the big three has been falling consistently for the past few years.  I'm quite sure that has nothing to do with unions.