One in Five Activists Illegally Fired for Seeking to Join a Union, way up since W took office

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/01/05/one-in-five-workers-illegally-fired-for-seeking-to-join-a-union/

One in Five Activists Illegally Fired for Seeking to Join a Union

by Tula Connell, Jan 5, 2007

Working people are struggling to get by and America’s middle class is disappearing. So why don’t more join unions to bargain for better wages and benefits?

One big reason: Many are illegally fired if they try.



A new study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) reports a steep rise in illegal firings of pro-union workers in the 2000s. Analyzing data from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that tracks such statistics, economist John Schmitt and research assistant Ben Zipperer find that nearly one-in-five union organizers or activists can expect to be fired as a result of their activities in a union election campaign.

According to the report, Dropping the Ax: Illegal Firings During Union Election Campaigns:

In the 1970s, a pro-union worker involved in a union-organizing campaign faced about a 1-in-100 chance of being fired illegally. The probability of being fired reached its historical peak in the first half of the 1980s, with about 1-in-42 pro-union workers being fired illegally. From the second half of the 1980s through the second half of the 1990s, the likelihood of a being fired declined steadily but remained high, reaching about 1-in-87 pro-union workers by the end of the period.

From 2000 on, however, the likelihood that a pro-union worker would be fired in a union-election campaign has jumped sharply—to about 1 in every 53 pro-union workers.

It’s not fair that people are fired for seeking the freedom to form unions—and the AFL-CIO union movement is working hard to change the nation’s weak labor laws so workers won’t be treated this way by employers. Together, with our allies in the faith and grassroots communities, we’re working for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act in Congress.

FULL story at link.

[mdmc]

1. yup there is no longer a 'right' to unionize

Dems need to step up and REPRESENT!

ever since nlrb came in to existance...

[KingFlorez]

2. Anti-labor and anti-union sentiment is rising

The corporatist governing style of Republicans has increased the sentiment among some employers that they don't have to treat their workers fairly.

[mopinko]

3. why does this head say 1 in 5? the article says 1 in 53.

it is a disturbing trend, but where does that number come from?

[Omaha Steve]

5. The graphic is a little misleading, here is the report link

http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/unions_2007_01.pdf

Read the conclusion on page 17.

[malaise]

4. This is a global phenomenon

ILO data should be interesting. For a good take on Jamaica see Life and Debt.