DESPITE RECORD HIGH gas prices, the Senate is preparing to stop debate on an energy bill in order to bring one of big labor's top priorities to the Senate floor. The bill would deny workers the right to cast a private ballot in union organizing elections, and Senate Democrats filed a motion last night to bring it to the floor this week.

"Instead of having secret ballots that remove workers from intimidation by union bosses, under this bill a union could be formed after a majority of employees publicly sign an approval card," said Ensign. "For more than 60 years we've guaranteed workers the right to a private ballot, but now the Democrats want to change that."

Unions support removing the secret ballot process because membership has been steadily declining since 1983. Denying workers the right to a secret ballot makes it significantly easier to form or join a union through the public card check system in this bill.

"Secret election ballots are part of our history and American democracy," said Ensign. "This is political payback to unions at the expense of workers' rights. Even people who belong to unions prefer the secret ballot process."

According to a Zogby poll, 78 percent of union workers favor keeping the current private ballot process in place.