Employee Free Choice Act

This could be one of the most important pieces of labor legislation passed in 70 years. I've heard little mention of it in the press, but I was fortunate enough to catch a segment on FOX News that went into great detail how this piece of legislation could destroy our entire economy.

Legendary CEO Jack Welch went on and on about the dangers of "forcing unions" onto good companies. If you let an idiot run your company then you deserve your employees to unionize. Unions--in the eyes of Mr. Welch--are a penalty of some kind. They are an abberation to be avoided at all cost.

You can read the full text of the bill here. It is designed to make it easier for workers to organize and form unions. It's really that simple. Think what you want of unions, but they are a democritizing force in a country. They are one of the few ways in which normal working-class people can make their voice heard and participate in some meaningful way in our political arena. The system for protecting workers is severly broken. This from American Rights to Work:

Under the current labor law system, employers often use a combination of legal
and illegal methods to silence employees who attempt to form unions and bargain
for better wages and working conditions. When faced with organizing drives, 25
percent of employers fire at least one pro-union worker; 51 percent threaten to
close a worksite if the union prevails; and, 91 percent force employees to
attend one-on-one anti-union meetings with their supervisors.

I've been fired in a union drive before and it's not fun. It's extremely difficult for people to organize and form unions in this country. This legislation would be a step forward for all working people. It has passed the House and now faces a battle in the Senate. Even if we can get it past the Senate it is all but certain President Bush will veto it.

Workers of the World, Unite!

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