What More Proof Do They Want?

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.afscmeblog.org/2007/03/09/what-more-proof-do-they-want/

What More Proof Do They Want?

An article in The Washington Post called it “a shield against corporate bullying”; a column in The Los Angeles Times said it “would restore balance to a system that is driven by aggressive employers, anti-union consultants, coercion and fear”; and The New York Times gave it its unqualified support. What additional proof does anyone who opposes the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) need in order for them to see that passage of the law would create a fair and effective way for workers to decide if they want to join a union?

How about 800 nurses joining AFSCME through majority signup, precisely the EFCA’s major provision — one that would give employees a voice on the job and allow them to bargain for a better life? On March 2, one day after the EFCA was passed by a vote of 241-185 in the U.S. House of Representatives, nurses at Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California facilities became the newest members of United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP/NUHHCE).

How did they do it? They simply indicated their intent to join the union by signing authorization cards. The signatures were checked by a neutral third party and Kaiser Permanente then honored the nurses’ choice.

According to UNAC/UHCP Pres. and IVP Kathy Sackman, “Respecting workers’ desire to have a voice on the job – rather than fighting the union – is not only the right thing to do, but it makes good business sense.”

Workers can choose a voice on the job without facing hostility and intimidation. The only way to make this the rule instead of the exception is by making sure Congress passes the EFCA.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 9th, 2007 at 3:27 pm and is filed under Workers' rights, Legislation, Organizing.

[ananda]

1. I just don't understand why..

.. workers need a law to join a union?

Everyone should be free to join anything they want any time they want.
That's called freedom.

[Vincardog]

2. Freedom is just another word for nothing left to loose. If you think we live in a free world

go visit your local WalMart and try to hand out some union literature.