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Rebuilding America’s Middle Class
Employee Free Choice Act
Employee Free Choice Act Good
Trade/Offshoring Policy
Good Trade/Offshoring
Policy
Fair TaxesFair Taxes
Infrastructure, “Green Jobs”
Investment
Infrastructure, “Green Jobs”
Investment
Health CareReform
Health CareReform
New Main Street Economic Recovery Package
New Main Street Economic Recovery Package
JobsJobs
Re-regulate Financial Sector
Re-regulate Financial Sector
EMPLOYEES’FREEDOM
TO BARGAINThe Key to Rebuilding Our
Middle Class
What If Presidential Elections Were Conducted Like
Union Recognition Elections?
2008
John McCain Barack ObamaVS.
McCain would have unlimited TV time, including several hours a day of compulsory viewing time.
Obama, would be restricted to door-to-door canvassing
Obama would have to campaign from Canada or Mexico; neither he nor his aides would be allowed in the country.
Obama voters risk losing their jobs.
The Whitehouse could fire one voter in every precinct,to send voters a message, and chill the campaign.
McCain can delay the election if he thinks he’ll do better later.
Let’s suspend the election, Sarah, for these good people can get their heads screwed on straight!
Let’s suspend the election, Sarah, for these good people can get their heads screwed on straight!
The election is held in hostile headquarters and voters file by hostile officials as they vote.
What does a flawed process mean for APWU Members?
• A large pool of non-union workers allows corporations to put downward pressure on all workers attempts to negotiate for better pay and benefits.
• Plans to privatize the postal service begin with contracting out work to companies with unorganized, lower paid workers
• Real “family values” are parents home at night with their children; NOT working 3 jobs to make ends meet!
Employee Free Choice Act
• Allow workers to choose how they form their union – whether by majority sign up or election
• Strengthen penalties for companies that break the law when workers are trying to form unions
• Establish mediation and binding arbitration when the employer and workers cannot agree on a first contract
Knowledge of the Process Remains Limited
- Only 47% of the public knows that employers oppose unions
- 60% of union members know that employers oppose (up 6 points since 2006).
Strong Support For Employee Free Choice Act
29%
49%
44%
21%
37% 73%
Support for Employee Free Choice after hearing provisions
Allows employees to have a union once a majority of employees in a workplace sign authorization cards indicating they want to form a union
Strengthens penalties for companies that illegally intimidate or fire employees who try to form a union
75%
Establishes binding arbitration in cases where a company and a newly certified union cannot agree on a contract after three months of negotiating
64%
61%
Strongly favor Somewhat favor Oppose
Attacks Against Employee Free Choice Act
• Coalition for a Democratic Workplace
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Retail Industry Leaders Association
• Associated Buildings and Contractors
• National Right to Work
• Rick Berman front groups
We’re up against a $200 million organized opposition:
We’re up against a $200 million organized opposition:
• Eliminates the Secret Ballot
• Not Needed Because the Current
Process Resembles Political Elections
• Bad for Jobs – Bad for Economy
• Will Increase Union Coercion
• Eliminates the Secret Ballot
• Not Needed Because the Current
Process Resembles Political Elections
• Bad for Jobs – Bad for Economy
• Will Increase Union Coercion
Attacks Against Employee Free Choice Act
Eliminates Secret Ballot -FALSE-
• NLRA currently sets 30% as threshold to get an election
• Majority sign-up has been legal since 1935
• NLRA remains intact after the Employee Free Choice Act
Union Coercion-FALSE-
42 Cases of union misconduct (cards)
since 1935
Employer Coercion- TRUE-
Illegal Retaliation by Employers Against Workers for Forming Unions
• 6,000 cases in 1969
• 20,000 cases in 1990
• 30,000 cases in 2007
THE MIDDLE CLASS IS IN TROUBLE.• CEOs make record high salaries while corporations
like Wal-Mart drive down wages• Wages are stagnating as prices are rising• Taxpayers are bailing out Wall Street
UNIONS STRENGTHEN THE MIDDLE CLASS.
• They earn 30% more than non union workers and are 50% more likely to have health care benefits and pensions
• They provide economic stability at a time of severe economic unrest
• As the country works at rebuilding our economy under Obama, unions help ensure the benefits go to all workers, not just those at the top
• Currently, companies, not employees, get to decide how workers can try and form unions
• One in five union activists are fired when trying to form a union
• The current company-controlled process eliminates workers’ ability to exercise their true choice through the one-sided campaign
THE CURRENT SYSTEM ROBS EMPLOYEES OF A FREE CHOICE.
Union Movement-Wide Effort
• Affiliate Leadership and Membership Involvement in all efforts
• State Federations and Central Labor Council Leadership
• CTW and NEA Engagement
Legislative Targeting and Lobbying
• Re-sign co-sponsors
• Newly elected who had our support
• Soft-support Democrats
• Republicans we can move
Focus is the Senate with some targeted House work:
• Message and spokesperson training for union leaders at all levels
• High-visibility events
• Rapid response
• Full-scale paid and earned media
Aggressive Public and Member Communication
Membership Mobilization
• Union Meetings / Discussions
• Local Union Mail/ Worksite Leafleting
• Letters - 1 %
• Phone Calls - 1 %
• Delegation Visits to Members of Congress
• Worker Spokespersons
Recruiting and Coordinating Allies
• American Rights at Work
• Community-based organizations
• Faith-based organizations/Clergy
• Academics and student groups
• Elected leaders and Democratic Party influentials
• International support
Building on Strength and Success
• Labor 2008
• Six years of Employee Free Choice Act campaign
• Majority support in Congress
“I’ll make it the law of the land.” — Barack Obama
866 # SENATORS
AK(Murkowski)AR(Lincoln, Pryor)CA (Feinstein)CO (Udall, Bennet)DE (Carper)FL (Nelson)IN Bayh)LA(Landrieu)ME (Snowe)
MT (Baucus)
NC (Hagan)
ND (Dorgan,Conrad)
NE (Nelson)
OH (Voinovich)
PA (Specter)
VA(Warner, Webb)
WI (Kohl)
