Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Learn the Truth about the Employee Free Choice Act

As most of you know, passage of the Employee Free Choice Act is one of America's top priorities. The Employee Free Choice Act will help make the economy work for all of us again by ensuring that workers have a free choice and a fair chance to join a union. Today's workplaces are tilted in favor of lavishly-paid CEOs, who get golden parachutes while middle-class families struggle to get by. The Employee Free Choice Act gives us a chance to restore the balance, giving more workers a chance to form unions and get better health care, job security, and benefits.

The right wingers, corporate thugs, misguided souls and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are doing everything they can to misrepresent this legislation by saying that workers won't keep secret-ballot elections. The fact is that workers DO keep secret-ballot rights under the Employee Free Choice Act. They would simply gain an additional way to seek a contract and union representation through majority signup. The bill still provides for a secret-ballot election if employees want it. Most working men and women will use the Majority Signup method to avoid the coercion, threats, intimidation and even firings that companies use to discourage employees from forming a union.

7 comments:

Eric Schansberg said...

A few clarifications:

"Passage of the Employee Free Choice Act is one of [labor unions'] top priorities."

"The Employee Free Choice Act will help" unions and those in them, but hurt workers and the economy overall

Employees already "have a free choice and a fair chance to join a union"-- unless you have interesting definitions of "fair".

You are correct that the EFCA would give "more workers a chance to form unions and get better health care, job security, and benefits"-- if the firms remain in the country and can stay open.

Charlie Averill said...

Eric,

A few clarifications:

Passage of the Employee Free Choice Act is one of America's top priorities.

The Employee Free Choice Act will help union members, and help all workers....even you, and at the same time, help our economy.

I am correct that the EFCA would give more workers a chance to form unions and get better health care, job security, and benefits, no if's, and's or butts about it.

Eric Schansberg said...

Neither support nor opposition to the EFCA is a top priority for Americans. If it lasts, the latter is very good news for unions.

You don't think a single firm will move overseas to get away from EFCA and/or more likely unionization?

Charlie Averill said...

If support for the Employee Free Choice Act wasn't a top priority for Americans, then they voted for the wrong presidential candidate.

Move overseas??? What the heck do you think they've been doing?

Time to get real and support the middle class.

Eric Schansberg said...

Top priority? I thought it was to get rid of W! ;-) Most people have never heard of EFCA, so it can't be a priority. If it remains that way, unions have a better op to get their way.

Yes, they'll move overseas either way. The question is whether that pace will increase or remain the same. If it won't change things from their perspective, why wouldn't they embrace it with open arms?

Next, you'll tell me that a minimum wage of $20/hour or mandated health care wouldn't increase unemployment-- or that you buy goods and services independent of their price.

Charlie Averill said...

One top priority at a time.

Bush gone....check
Torture outlawed....check
Lilly Ledbetter Bill........check
Recovery and Jobs Bill......check
Buy American legislation....check
EFCA..........pending
National healthcare.....pending
and on and on and on and on..pending

If companies leave because they have to allow workers to freely assemble and have to pay fair wages, then we'll just have to make them stay away for good.

Hey, let your consience be your guide. I buy American products whenever possible. I tip good too.
America needs patriotic consumers.

I'm a United Methodist, perhaps that has something to do with it.

Eric Schansberg said...

OK, I thought top meant "#1"...In any case, I wish getting out of Iraq and not continuing to screw up the economy like Bush were "top priorities" for Obama.

And I appreciate your sentiment about such companies leaving. But it sounds like you're perfectly willing to sacrifice those jobs/workers. Does your willingness to sacrifice the jobs of others come from Methodist influences?

Splice the Main Brace

Splice The Main Brace A sailing ship's main brace is a rope attached to its main spar. Splicing it (making a connection in it by interw...