Human Resources VP Kris Dunn, who blogs at the HR Capitalist, has a piece in Crain’s Workforce Management regarding the impact of the Employee Free Choice Act on HR professionals. His take? “This piece of legislation would cripple the competitiveness of American business, limit the rights of employees and eliminate the need for independent-thinking HR pros, all in one easy-to-sign law.”

Dunn compares current labor law regarding union organizing with the drastic changes intended by the EFCA to facilitate and promote union organizing at the expense of individual employees’ rights. He then focuses specifically on why HR professionals should be concerned:

1. You’re responsible for being an advocate for employees AND for being a business agent;

2. You’re responsible for creating and maintaining a workplace free of intimidation and harassment;

3. Under the act, you lose the opportunity to tell your story;

4. If a union is certified via card check under the Employee Free Choice Act, the employees are going to come to you once they figure out what has happened; and

5. You’re going to be less than satisfied with your HR career in a union shop.

For his expansion on each of the points above, read his entire piece here. His ultimate conclusion should come as no surprise to regular readers here, or anyone else who has followed the progression of this unfortunate piece of legislation:

Finally, the worst thing about the Employee Free Choice Act isn’t its effect on us as HR professionals. It's how stunningly anti-employee the act is. Ability for employees to keep their feelings about unionization private? Gone. Ability for employees to listen and carefully contemplate both sides of an argument regarding representation? Gone.