Employee Free Choice Act Passes House

When the corporations and the wealthy go on the offensive with campaigns like the attempt to privatize Social Security and Medicare, Metro Justice has looked to organize labor to lead the way. The organizational sophistication and deep resources of the union movement has proven to be the critical component in our efforts to raise the minimum wage and reign in COMIDA by reforming the statewide industrial development agency system. The progressive movement depends a great deal on the health of American unions.

The post-war rise of the middle class occurred during the height of union membership. And it was no coincidence that after Reagan went after the air traffic controllers union (PATCO) American workers started to see their wages erode against inflation as conservative deregulation of the economy unleashed a squeeze of the middle class.

More than half of U.S. workers—58 million—say they would join a union right now if they could. According to new survey research by Richard Freeman of Harvard University, "if workers were provided the union representation they desired in 2005, then the unionization rate would be about 58%"—almost eight times higher than the actual rate of 7.4%.

The problem is that American labor law creates a gauntlet that workers must overcome as they try to organize their workplace and the National Labor Review Board has been weakened.

Often, workers must wait months if not years for a decision from the court that handles worker cases- companies spend millions of dollars each year to appealing unfavorable rulings.

• 25% of employers illegally fire at least one activist during a union campaign;
• 78% require supervisors to deliver anti-union messages to the workers whose jobs and pay they control;
• Even after workers successfully form a union, in one-third of the instances, employers never negotiate a contract.

The Employee Free Choice Act would provide some necessary changes to existing labor law. The bill, which just passed the House of Representatives, would level the playing field for employees and employers. It would restore workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain by strengthening penalties for companies that coerce or intimidate employees, establishing mediation and binding arbitration when the employer and workers cannot agree on a first contract, and would enable employees to form unions when a majority express their decision to join the union by signing authorization cards.

Local Republicans Tom Reynolds, Randy Kuhl and Jim Walsh voted against the bill. Democrat Louise Slaughter was a bill co-sponsor and voted for it. At one point Kuhl was also a sponsor but he withdrew late last year.

The Employee Free Choice Act passed despite a campaign waged by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber warned House members it will not forget a vote in favor of a union-backed card-check bill, punctuating its opposition to the bill by launching a flight of radio ads in 51 House districts.

However, this fight isn’t over. President Bush has pledged to veto the Employee Free Choice Act if it reaches his desk—and it’s going to be very tough to convince a veto-proof majority of senators to support it. Especially with the kind of pressure corporate groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are planning. Here’s what Bill Miller, the Chamber’s national political director, promises about the fight in the Senate: “It's going to be even bigger and nastier with the whole kitchen sink.”