|
“Facts about the “Employee Free Choice Act”
This legislation will level the playing field for all unorganized
workers in this country by providing another option for employees to
form a union at their place of work.
The fact is “Corporate America” and other business owners in those
recent T.V. running ads want you to believe the unions want to take
away the Secret Ballot Union Election process, this simply is not
true. Management wants to hold onto what is working in their favor,
and that is, that they control the process not the employees.
Since 1935 there have been two options for choosing a
union-Majority Sign-Up or a National Labor Relations Board election.
Under the “Employee Free Choice Act” these two options will still
exist. The only change is instead of management making the decision
for the employees, the employees make the decision. If 30% of the
workers want an election one will still be held. Today, management
calls the shot if there is going to be an election.
Today, too many workers are being discouraged from forming unions
at their place of work. Changes to labor law over the past 70 years
have given employers excessive influence and have severely weakened
the rights of workers to organize. Today workers who try to form
unions are intimidated, harassed, discriminated against or fired. In
the present workplace environment by the time the NLRB election date
arrives the process to form a union is so poisoned that free and
fair choice isn’t an option. The “Employee Free Choice Act” imposes
meaningful financial penalties on employers who engage in illegal
activity against workers attempting to organize.
The law will also guarantee that newly formed unions have a much
easier process toward negotiating and implementing a first contract
with their employer. Today, because of stalling tactics and bad
faith negotiating only a third of newly formed unions are able to
achieve a first contract in under a year. The “Employee Free Choice
Act” will mandate mediation and arbitration if both sides can’t
reach an agreement within three months of union recognition.
The “Employee Free Choice Act” will restore a fair process that
allows people to decide whether or not they themselves want to form
a union in their workplace, employers will be penalized for abusing
workers who are seeking a voice at their job, and newly formed
unions will have a clear path for negotiating a first contract. It
will allow Certification on the basis of Majority-Sign Up.
The American Labor Movement has set the standard and will continue
to do so for all workers by keeping pace with inflation with better
wages, better benefits and better working conditions for all of you
who toil in a workplace today.
Lewis Neuman Jr.
Directing Bus. Rep.
IAMAW, District Lodge 165
1-320-252-4654
|
