The Employee Free Choice Act: Restoring the Right to Organize

For months, corporate political action committees have been running television ads attacking the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill aimed at restoring the right to organize. The Act would do three principal things: 1. The Free Choice Act gives employees, not employers, control of the union election process. When a majority of workers sign union authorization cards, the employer must recognize the union of their choice. If 30 percent of the employees want an election, however, the decision is made by secret ballot, run by the National Labor Relations Board. Employers use the current NLRB election process to intimidate and coerce employees, using captive audience meetings to promise benefits or threaten retaliation if workers support the union. The elections are like political elections where only the incumbent can visit the district, and the incumbent controls every voter’s income. Majority sign up has worked well in Canada, where it has been the law for many years. 2. The Free Choice Act imposes meaningful penalties to deter labor law violations. Current law provides no real penalties on employers who interfere or coerce employees, discriminate against union supporters, or refuse to negotiate in good faith. As a result, employers routinely threaten employees who want a union, and fire active supporters. The Employee Free Choice Act would impose meaningful penalties that would deter labor law violations. 3. The Employee Free Choice Act provides binding arbitration of first contracts. If union supporters can get through a broken election process, and survive the employer’s campaign of illegal coercion and discrimination, the employer simply refuses to bargain for a first contract. Under current law, the only recourse is to strike. The Free Choice Act would require binding arbitration of the first contract, using the system that is in place for public sector workers in many states. Sign the petition supporting the Employee Free Choice Act. For more information, see: Bangor Daily News editorial supporting the Employee Free Choice Act New York Times editorial supporting the Employee Free Choice Act The (Brunswick) Times Record editorial supporting the Employee Free Choice Act The Employee Free Choice Act: Frequently Asked Questions (2 pages) Why We Need the Employee Free Choice Act (1 page) Radio ad in support of Employee Free Choice Act (this will take a few moments to load before playing)