By Clayton Seufert, Charleston

Moments before the gavel fell on the South Carolina Democratic Convention on Saturday, the Democratic Party faithful decided to send a loud message; that their party supports collective bargaining and expects Democratic elected officials to do the same.

As the convention leaders moved to complete their scheduled business, and took up a planned addition to the platform stating the party’s support of the federal Employee Free Choice Act, the convention members decided they had a little more to say. 

Progressive Caucus leader Brett Bursey addressed the Chair and read a motion to amend the planned resolution to not only include the party’s support of the pending legislation, but added that the party “opposes all state legislative efforts to obstruct the Act, or to impose further burdens on the democratic rights of working people to organize.”  These changes, clearly aimed at bills currently being discussed in the General Assembly, designed to urge defeat or attempt to circumvent the Employees Free Choice Act if passed.

One such bill, H. 3305, aims to take away from workers the choice the Act gives them between majority sign-up and an election by changing the SC Constitution.  H. 3305 was initiated by Republican legislators, but given some support by a limited number on the Democratic side of the aisle. 

The decision of those Democratic legislators didn’t seem to sit well with the convention delegates — as the motion to add the stronger language against state laws subverting “workers rights” was seconded by nearly all present, had zero discussion against and passed with “none opposed.”