The Employee Free Choice Act:

1
The Employee Free Choice Act A Challenge for
Labor Educators UALE Annual Conference April 18,
2009
2
We Make It They Take It Productivity vs. Wage
Growth
2.0
Productivity
Wages
1.5
Index
1.0
0.5
1947
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2007
Source Economic Policy Institute
3
WHEN WORKERS BARGAIN, THEY HAVE MORE ECONOMIC
SECURITY

• Union workers
• 52 more likely to have health care benefits
• 3x as likely to have pensions

78
67
49
15
Nonunion Workers
Union Workers
Health Care
Pensions
Sources U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of
Labor Statistics, August 2007
4
Employee Free Choice Act
Bill Introduced on March 10

• HR 1409 in House
• S 560 in Senate
• 223 cosponsors in the House
• 40 cosponsors in the Senate

5
Responsible Employers and Many States Already Use
Majority Sign-up Why? A free choice for workers
and less conflict
ND

MD
MA
OK
CA
MN
NH
KS
6
Attacks Against Employee Free Choice Act 200M
organized opposition
7
Union Movement-Wide Effort

• Affiliate Leadership and Membership Involvement
  in all efforts
• State Federations and Central Labor Council
  Leadership
• CTW and NEA Engagement
• Reach out to non-labor allies

8
Employee Free Choice Act Key States
ME
MT
ND
WI
PA
NE
AK
DE
IN
CA
CO
VA
MO
NC
AR
NM
LA
FL
Key States
9
How You Can Help

• Op eds, LTEs and other media outreach
• Contact with Senators (letters, phone calls and
  meetings)
• Statewide Scholar Sign-ons
• Campus events
• Identify other scholars to involve (in key
  states)
• Research

10
Resources
AFL-CIO www.EmployeeFreeChoiceAct.org Americ
an Rights at Work www.americanrightsatwork.org U-
Mass/ PERI www.peri.umass.edu/efca
Scholars in Support of the
Employee Free Choice Act www.peri.umass.edu/se
fca