"No Reason" For Elections?

Bruce Raynor, president of UNITE HERE, told the New York Times in May 2003 that "There's no reason to subject the workers to an election." In fact, his union is a leader in the effort to avoid traditional secret ballot elections, which offer every employee a personal, confidential vote. The Bureau of National Affairs recently reported that Raynor said his union organized 90 percent of its new members in 2005 through "alternative means" that often bypass traditional elections.

The "alternative means" employed by union officials often involve harassment and intimidation of employees, as well as attacks on businesses. To learn more about union-favored anti-democratic "card check" campaigns which deny employees a fair and secret ballot, click here. To learn more about employees“ rights and frequently asked questions, click here.

Who is Bruce Raynor?

• Chairman of Amalgamated Bank, UNITE HERE's bank with assets of $4 billion


• Secretary of the Council of Institutional Investors, an organization that controls $3 trillion in pension funds
• Chairman of UNITE HERE's national pension and insurance funds
• Chairman of the Board of Amalgamated Life Insurance Company, a UNITE HERE affiliated insurance company

Other Leaders' Fidelity To Democracy

Fidel Castro
"This election is the most democratic in the world, there is no doubt — No other country has a system like this." -- Fidel Castro, quoted by the Associated Press on elections in his country, April 17, 2005

"Under Cuba's one-party system, city and provincial leaders, as well as representatives of the National Assembly, are elected by citizens on a local level. Anyone can be nominated to these posts, including non-members of the island's ruling communist party -- the only one recognized in Cuba's constitution. The island's top leader, however, is not elected directly by citizens to the post of president. Representatives of the National Assembly nominate, then elect the president." - Associated Press, April 17, 2005

Kim Jung Il
Don't let the D in DPRK (Democratic People Republic of Korea) fool you. Information on North Korean "elections" are difficult to come by.