Monday, September 7, 2009

National Ad Campaign for the Employee Free Choice Act

This Labor Day, American Rights at Work is launching a new national cable television ad campaign featuring two commercials, "Fabric of America" and "We Don't Ask," that make the case for the Employee Free Choice Act. The ads, which will begin running nationally on Monday, September 7, are part of the sustained campaign from a broad coalition of labor and workers’ rights advocates urging lawmakers to enact this critical piece of legislation.

As we celebrate Labor Day, and as lawmakers return from the August recess, they will be reminded that the Employee Free Choice Act is crucial to creating an economy that works for everyone. The ads, which feature real workers, demonstrate that a majority of the public is counting on Congressional leaders to pass significant labor law reform this year.

See the video at the links below.

Fabric of America: TV Ad in Support of the Employee Free Choice Act

We Don't Ask: TV Ad in Support of the Employee Free Choice Act

Artists for Workers Choice: Watch the video and learn more!


The Employee Free Choice Act

A growing, bipartisan coalition of policymakers supports the Employee Free Choice Act, proposed legislation that would ensure that workers have a free choice and a fair chance to form a union. Simply put, the Employee Free Choice Act will allow workers to once again choose to form unions without the fear of being fired.

The legislation would give workers a fair and direct path to form unions through majority sign-up, help employees secure a contract with their employer in a reasonable period of time, and toughen penalties against employers who violate their workers' rights.

Why is this bill so important? It's plain as day: workers are struggling in this country. Today's workplaces are tilted in favor of lavishly-paid CEOs, who get golden parachutes while middle-class families struggle to get by.
The Employee Free Choice Act can restore the balance, giving more workers a chance to form unions and get better health care, job security, and benefits – and an opportunity to pursue their dreams.

Corporate interests are fighting the Employee Free Choice Act with everything they've got. They're protecting the status quo – a rigged system which allows employers to intimidate, harass, and even fire workers who try to form a union. We're not talking about isolated incidents: 30 percent of employers fire pro-union workers during union organizing drives.

Protecting the right to form unions is about maintaining the American middle class. It’s no coincidence that as union membership numbers fall there are growing numbers of jobs with low pay, poor benefits, and little to no security. More than half of U.S. workers—60 million—say they would join a union right now if they could.

Why?

They know that coming together to bargain with employers over wages, benefits, and working conditions is the best path to getting ahead. Workers who belong to unions earn 30 percent more than non-union workers, and are 63 percent more likely to have employer-provided health care. Without labor law reform, economic opportunity for America’s working families will continue to erode.

Issue Focus: The Employee Free Choice Act

The Employee Free Choice Act is critical workers' rights legislation that will:

Hold anti-union employers accountable.

Guarantee workers a free and fair chance to form a union.

Force employers to stop dragging out contract negotiations.

Bill summary

Senate sponsors

Why we need it

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