Big business has already spent more than $300 million (can you believe it?) in advertising in an all-out effort to mislead, misinform and defeat this important legislation. These are the same corporations that have outsourced most of our manufacturing sector and come knocking on rural America’s door only when they need low-paid workers.
Here are a few facts the anti-Employee Free Choice crowd doesn’t talk about:
FACT: The current labor law system is broken.
- 30 percent of employers illegally fire pro-union workers during organizing drives.
- 78 percent of companies require supervisors to deliver anti-union messages to workers.
- 32 percent of workers still don’t have a contract one year after voting for union representation.
FACT: The Employee Free Choice Act levels the playing field for employees and employers.
- It strengthens penalties against companies that illegally coerce or intimidate employees to prevent them from forming a union.
- It allows employers or employees to request mediation if they’re unable to negotiate a first contract.
- It lets employees use either secret balloting or majority sign-up to express their choice to organize.
FACT: The Employee Free Choice Act does NOT take away secret ballot elections.
Majority sign-up isn’t a new approach and it’s not a requirement. If one-third of workers want to have a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election, they can still ask the federal government to hold an election.
Employers are still free to express their opinion about the union as long as they don’t threaten or intimidate workers. Severe penalties also apply to anyone who tries to coerce an employee to sign a union-authorization card.
FACT: A majority of voters support Employee Free Choice.
In fact, 73 percent of the American public, including President Obama, most major faith denominations, and civil and human rights groups support the Employee Free Choice Act and a stronger American economy.
