Labor unions, pushing for a new law that would make it easier for
workers to unite and impose harsher penalties against employers who
practice union-busting, are invoking Barack Obama's campaign themes
of hope and change in a new multi-million dollar ad campaign to
begin running today.
American Rights at
Work, a union advocacy group, chaired by former Rep. David
Bonior D-Mich., used real workers to star in the ads, which implore
lawmakers to pass The Employee Free Choice Act. The ads will run
nationwide for the next two weeks. "I hope to have some health
care… for a change," says one worker. "I hope
to work just one job… for a change," says
another. Under current law, forming a union can be a daunting
process for workers, the advocates argue, since employers can
require employees to vote whether to organize by secret ballot.
Under the proposed bill, workers would be able to choose instead to
publicly sign cards stating they want to form a union. If more than
half the workers sign the cards, then the union is official. The
proposal would also require bosses to negotiate with the union.
“On Election Day, the American people voted for
hope and change – and our ads continue their
call for action to make our economy work for everyone again, not
just CEOs and corporate special interests,†said
American Rights at Work Executive Director Mary Beth Maxwell.
“That’s why a substantial
majority of Americans see the Employee Free Choice Act as part of
the common sense solutions critical to economic recovery and
reinvigorating the middle class.†These new ads serve
as a reminder that in our current economic climate, the American
public is hungry for measures to strengthen the middle class. The
Employee Free Choice Act will help level the playing field for
workers by making it easier for them to bargain with their
employers for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. It
will also help employees secure a contract in a reasonable period
of time, and toughen penalties against employers who break the law.
The Employee Free Choice Act is tremendously popular legislation
with support that transcends party lines. President-elect Obama and
Vice President-elect Biden cosponsored the bill and it has broad
support from the leadership and the majority of our new Congress. A
poll by Hart Research Associates released last week found that 73
percent of adults support passage of the Employee Free Choice Act,
with 87 percent of Democrats, 69 percent of Independents, and
nearly half (48 percent) of self-identified Republicans favoring
the legislation. "To bridge this gap in inequality, we have to give
people the chance to collectively bargain with their
employers,†Bonior said. “This act
is not only important for union organizers but for those who are
not in a union.†For More Information on EFCA please
visit our website and blog
Employee Free Choice Act
Now . org http://efcanow.blogspot.com/
Labor Union Resources .
Org