Union Members and Families

Employee Free Choice Act Introduced in House

Posted by on February 7, 2007 at 04:12 PM

Union members and supporters have something to smile about this week - the Employee Free Choice Act has been introduced in the House. The bill, aimed at shoring up the ability of workers to organize, is long overdue. The Bush Administration and Republicans in Congresses of yesteryear were often complicit in plots to reduce workers' rights, but no more. With Democrats in control, working families can breathe a little easier. The AFL-CIO blog has more from one of the hundreds of cosponsor, Rep. Miller:

Today the procedures for forming a union and bargaining for better wages and benefits are stacked against the workers. The Employee Free Choice Act is very simple. It says that if a majority of workers in a workplace sign authorization cards in support of a union, they get a union. That's it.
Declining workers' rights is a subject many people don't talk about enough -- but it is a huge problem. In the year 2007, workers are still harassed, bullied, and even threatened when they try to form unions or exercise their right to collectively bargain. This isn't an issue of helping out some small group of people -- workers' rights affect everyone. What happens to our teachers, our nurses, our factory workers, our friends and family and acquaintances -- this affects us all. Preventing workers from creating or joining unions can mean denying them basic rights like baseline job safety, or overtime pay.

You can read more about the Employee Free Choice Act here.

Comments (4) «

I live in South Carolina, and we have "Right to Work" laws here. But, we don't have that many unions. South Carolina also has hiring policies that say that an employer can terminate you at will for good reason, no good reason, or no reason at all.

I don't agree with South Carolina having "Right to Work" laws. And, I also don't agree with its "Employment at Will" law. I believe in unions; and I think that South Carolina's workers should demand them more often.

1
LavoniaW on February 7, 2007 at 05:28 PM

Something to smile about, get real.

Go spew your lies some where else - you are either frauds by choice or ignorance.

Let the truth come out, the Democrats are equally to blame, if not more, for our countries situation. The democrats have done nothing for this country, but undermine its future, sovereignty and presence in the eyes of the world.

The republicans are allowing thousands of un-vetted Iraqi refugees’s to enter our country without even debate from the democrats.

Furthermore, you would rather side with illegal aliens, than the overwhelming majority of US CITIZENS; and grant millions of illegal alien’s amnesty and award them with guest worker status.

Yet, the shipment of American jobs to cheap foreign labor markets has cost millions of jobs, the distruction of indistries and threatens millions of more workers and their families, but also the American way of life. Corporations and politicians are breaking down our borders and jeopardizing our sovereignty in search of the lowest-price labor available.

Big business and Washington are in cahoots, trading our nation's livelihood for short-term gain.

Corporations are laying off Americans from well-paying jobs and replacing them with low-paid foreign workers.

Yet, unfair tariffs on our exported goods are at an all-time high, imports are allowed to enter the U.S. on weak foreign currency by overwhelming numbers; our auto industry has laid-off thousands and thousands workers, textiles and electronics no longer exist, steal and other manufacturing industries are almost non-existing, yet you claim to be the party of the people?

Where are you (the Democrats)?, are you trying to levy tariffs against foreign goods shipped into this country, by unscrupulous balances, are you trying to eliminate or balance the trade deficits with China, Japan, Mexico, stopping the exportation of U.S. jobs and industries etc……?

No, you are not; you are in favor of rewarding millions of illegal aliens, foreign industries, all on the backs of American Citizens.

This is just a brief synopsis of what we the people see. So look in the mirror first before speaking and take notice of who you really are, then if you can stand up for America first – then speak. Unfortunately, what you have laid-out in your game plan falls short, or should I say does not even come close to putting America first.

We need to rid this country from both career Democrats and Republicans by votes because the majority of both do not have what it takes to put Americans first.

.

2
shortguy on February 14, 2007 at 11:26 PM

The right to a Secret Ballot when voting is one of the most important freedoms we have. This is desire do do away with the SECRET Ballot is what Socialism/Communism is all about. This is s total violation of the Bill of Rights. Unions should quit Whining. Let the Free market decide.

3
vanspock on February 15, 2007 at 06:20 PM

As a union member in the state of Texas, I am glad the non-union workers have the right to organize!!!

4
sboyd on February 18, 2007 at 09:17 PM


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