Why we need Employee Free Choice
April Update, 2009
Workers in unions earn 30% more than non-union workers and are 59% more likely to have health insurance. Almost 60% of U.S. workers say that they would join a union if they could, but that they fear retaliation from their employers if they try.
Under current labor law, employers control the process workers must go through to form a union. Many employers abuse this power - intimidating, harassing and firing thousands of workers each year who try to form unions. The Employee Free Choice Act corrects this abuse of power by giving workers control over the process of joining a union, instead of employers.
What the Employee Free Choice Act does:
• Gives workers control over the process of joining a union - including the decision whether to join a union by majority sign-up, or by secret-ballot election.
• Requires employers to negotiate contracts with workers who join unions.
• Imposes meaningful penalties on companies that illegally threaten, harass, or fire workers.
• Could open the door to union wages and benefits for millions of workers, providing critical grassroots economic stimulus to the country.
• Unlike the bailout of Wall Street, it won't cost tax payers a dime.
Free Choice Rally Against Banker "Bonuses"On March 19th, more than ten thousand people rallied at 110 locations across 35 states to demand that big business special interests who have received $50 billion in tax-payer funded bailouts stop spending millions in political lobbying against the Employee Free Choice Act. Protestors gathered in front of AIG, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and dozens of other banks a few days after revelations that AIG executives had received millions in executive "bonuses."
Employee Free Choice Act Introduced Congressman George Miller and Senator Ted Kennedy introduced the Employee Free Choice Act in Congress on Tuesday, March 10th. President Obama has pledged to sign the legislation but big business lobbyists are already gearing up to spend millions on lobbyists and TV ads against the legislation. A vote on the Employee Free Choice Act may come as early as May.
Turning up the heat on Senator Feinstein The Employee Free Choice Act is cosponsored by every Democratic member of congress from California, except Senator Dianne Feinstein. While she has cosponsored the legislation in the past, this year she has refused to sign-on. Workers continue to reach out to the Senator, through postcards, letters and phone calls, urging her to stand up for working families by supporting this critical legislation.
Tell your Senator: Greed must go!
The era of corporate excess is over, but some of America's CEOs are doing all they can to keep the same practices that benefits them and hurts the rest of America.
Ken Lewis, the CEO of Bank of America, for instance, made $35 million in the last two years, while the average teller at Bank of America makes just $21,000 per year.
But we can make things better. The Employee Free Choice Act is about changing this.
Tell your senators that we need to rebuild the middle class by giving workers the chance to earn fair wages and benefits. Tell them to support Employee Free Choice.
To find out more about the Employee Free Choice Act, and to join the campaign, log onto
www.seiu.org/employeefreechoice/