The following letter was sent to all 2010 legislative and gubernatorial candidates on October 11, 2010.
October 11, 2010
Dear Candidate,
On November 2, Utah voters will decide the fate of Constitutional Amendment A, also known as Save Our Secret Ballot, or SOS Ballot. Constitutional Amendment A is a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing every Utahns’ right to vote by secret ballot. The Utah Taxpayers Association invites you to sign the pledge FOR Constitutional Amendment A, and save our secret ballot.
For decades, Utahns took this right as a given. Now Big Labor and their congressional allies want to take that right away by passing the deceptively named “Employee Free Choice Act” (EFCA). There’s even talk that Big Labor could skip Congress, and get their friends at the National Labor Relations Board to do their work without congressional action.
If Congress enacts EFCA, unions and employers will be able to look over employees’ shoulder as they decide whether to unionize a workplace. Because everyone would know how each person votes, unions and employers could use manipulation, peer pressure, even threats to convince employees to support the union. These critical votes of conscience must remain free of that kind of undue influence.
To save our secret ballot, the Utah Taxpayers Association worked with the Utah Legislature to place Constitutional Amendment A before the voters. Constitutional Amendment A reads:
All elections, including elections under state or federal law for public office, on an initiative or referendum, or to designate or authorize employee representation or individual representation, shall be by secret ballot.
It’s simple. It’s easy. It’s the right thing to do. That’s why the Utah Taxpayers Association is asking every candidate for the Legislature and Governor to join us in supporting Constitutional Amendment A.
To show your support for Constitutional Amendment A, please sign the attached pledge of support, and fax it to the Utah Taxpayers Association. Our fax number is 801.973.2324. On Monday October 18, the Taxpayers Association will publish the list of elected officials and candidates who want to save Utah’s secret ballot, as well as the list of elected officials and candidates who don’t want to save Utah’s secret ballot.
We appreciate your support, and wish you well in your campaign this fall.
Sincerely,
M. Royce Van Tassell
Vice President