Thread started by sexy at 05.1.09 - 9:32 am

What better day then MAY DAY to give a call to your US President, your congressional representative and your US Senates offices. Why call, to wish them and their staff a happy workers day and to encourage them to not only to (continue to) support the Employees Free Choice Act but to work with other members of the legislator to get this acted passed.

What is the Employee Free Choice Act? It is legislation that will enable working people to bargain for better benefits, wages and working conditions by restoring workers’ freedom to choose for themselves whether to join a union.
it would:

# remove current obstacles to employees who want collective bargaining.

# Guarantee that workers who can choose collective bargaining are able to achieve a contract.

# Allow employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation.

text of the bill here

summary of the bill here

Why is this important to you? Simply The more workers that have better working conditions and higher level of pay, the more likely your employer will have to give you better working conditions and pay.

Don't know who or how to call, you can always look at the Web for your elective representatives office number.

For the President, Barack's comment line is 202-456-1111

To find your congressional member type in your zip code here
or call the switchboard at (202) 224-3121

Diane Feinstein number is (202) 224-3841

Barbra Boxer number is 202-224-3553

ask to speak with the Labor Legislative Aid or leave a comment on the comment line.


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Also today and everyday until these business are unionized. May I encourage you to boycott Whole Foods, Starbucks and Costco. They are leading the fight to stop the Employees free choice act from being passed. I know Home Depot and Bank of American have been working to stop this legislation also.

If any thing it is a good reason to stop shopping at big corporate stores that take money from your community and start shopping at locally owned business that supports the local economy.



sexy
05.1.09 - 9:36 am

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i support worker's rights, but i'm not too sold on the idea of eliminating the secret ballot for workers to vote for a union or not, especially if they don't have confidence in the leaders or union representing them.



sciencefriction
05.1.09 - 9:48 am

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actually it goes to a card sign up method to forum a union in a work place. With a secret ballot, it give the company(employee) time to intimated employees into joining, force anti-union meetings with employees and then be able to challenge the election with the National Labor relations board. The NLRB has take up to 4-1/2 years to rule if the election was fair or not based on a complaint by the employer. By that time the company could have fired all members who might be pro union or have not spoke out against the union. Then it can refuse to recognize the Union until the NLRB has ruled. FYI the NLRB has been stacked with anti labor pro big business figures for a long time. Anti-Union groups such as those started by major corporations with a high level of low salary employees and the heritage foundation would have you believe what you wrote above, but sign up cards actually makes it easier for employees to form a union to collectively bargain for them.

You got ask yourself, when has the Heritage Foundation ever been concerned about low paid workers being able to form collective bargaining packs?

Here is a article on the NLRB older article but relevant to the topic



sexy
05.1.09 - 10:41 am

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definitely- i agree with all the reform that needs to happen, especially regarding speeding up the time to negotiate contracts and such- it's become a battle of who can last longer and usually that's the party with the bigger pockets. employers should be punished for retaliatory tactics. and i'm definitely not supporting the heritage foundation and it's reactionary agenda.

all i'm sayin is, what if hypothetically i would rather our workers unionize under seiu rather than afl-cio. or if i think a particular organizer is an opportunist and doesn't have MY best interest in mind... there is a lot of open peer pressure in the shop as well- i've witnessed it firsthand.

a secret ballot is the most democratic thing you can give a worker. all the other things surrounding the vote, the campaigning for and against the union should be fixed.



sciencefriction
05.1.09 - 11:05 am

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i have a bunch of friends including my brother who are great and enthusiastic teachers in underserved areas. and UTLA definitely did not have their interests in mind. my brother is looking at charter schools for work now, and i want him to have the choice to decide if UTLA ever decides to try and unionze at his new school



sciencefriction
05.1.09 - 11:09 am

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do tell us about why the UTLA did not have their best interest in mind.
I'm very interested.



sexy
05.1.09 - 6:52 pm

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how about i keep my facts and opinions to myself, just agree to disagree with you on a few points, call it a day and cast my secret ballot, and save myself from being castigated in front of everyone who has already made up their mind?
;)





sciencefriction
05.1.09 - 9:08 pm

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I support The EFCA. Yes, I do see how using only card check, if 50% of the employees agree, can give more leverage to the union supporters. However, the current laws regarding employer conduct regarding union organization are simply skewed heavily in favor of employers/corporations. There is not even a hint of fairness. This bill gives more leverage to both employees and union supporters and is badly needed. No where does it eliminate the secret ballot if employees choose to use one...that is the key. It takes the decision of holding a secret ballot away from the employer and allows the employees to decide if they want secret ballot if they so inclined. The bill also addresses the lack of oversight regarding employers unlawful suppression of union organizing activities and information. This seems to be the real issue in regards to corporate defiance of the bill.

Check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_Free_Choice_Act to read up if you want...its quite interesting. Also, take a look at who supports it and who doesn't, you can get a pretty good idea of who is going to benefit it it does or does not pass...it's pretty black and white in those regards...i.e. Obama an original co-sponsor vs. Norm Coleman, give him the money corporate hackster i.e. Home Depot.

Also as far as unions are concerned. I think they are needed. Nothing has ever been given to employees without a fight. If you have a job in which you receive sick pay, holiday pay, vacation pay, health insurance...etc., things such as these were brought to you by your friendly neighborhood unions. Not to say all is good in unionville, there are pros and cons. However, unions are democratic, like little mini-governments...they are only as good/corrupt as those they represent allow. They provide balance in an otherwise corporate controlled economy.

Done.

I Go Drink Some Now!!!



MikonOfBabylon
05.1.09 - 11:11 pm

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