Comments on: The Employee Free Choice Act: Protecting American Workers’ Rights So Our Economy Works For Everyone” by Mike Fadel

By: Paul Levy

Paul Levy — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:01:58 +0000

“Forming a union should be no more difficult than joining a church or a political party.” It is not at all the same thing. When you join a church or a political party, you do so for yourself.

In contrast, when a union is formed, it represents all workers in the bargaining unit and becomes their exclusive representative with the company — hence the term “collective bargaining”. A union does not include just the ones who wanted to create it or join it.

It is important, therefore, to provide a guarantee for a secret ballot vote on the question. That is really the only way to demonstrate respect for different opinions and to allow a decision by the majority in a forum that is not subject to intimidation.

By: Paul Levy

Paul Levy — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:00:03 +0000

“For instance in the hospital industry, one of our largest and wealthiest employers, over 19,337 workers and their dependents had to rely on public health insurance last year.” As I recall, these figures include both unionized and non-unionized hospitals and may not be a good indication of the value of this piece of legislation. Similar numbers exist, as I recall, too, for state and local government agencies, many of which are already unionized. I’m not saying that the numbers are wrong, but rather that they are not necessarily an argument for this bill.

By: Nancy Turnbull

Nancy Turnbull — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 11:08:27 +0000

If you want to read some other perspectives on why EFCA might be good public policy in a global economy, check out:

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=why_we_need_efca

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=where_are_the_workers

By: Biff Goodwin

Biff Goodwin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:13:55 +0000

I’m all for labor. I’m all for reworking the National Labor Relations Act to address the things you mention — timely elections, penalties for punitive action by employers, etc. But I’m firmly against taking away the secret ballot and therefore I’m against the so-called “Free Choice” act. Your union, and others that have undertaken caustic attacks on the people and institutions that oppose your creepy, un-Democratic bill, should be ashamed. You’re actually hurting your own cause.

By: RThompson

RThompson — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:31:35 +0000

First: your comment about public health insurance –isn’t part of the union’s platform a push for a single-payer system? So, why so disparaging about workers currently on that system? Second: as a family member of several union members — one who had no choice but to join — it is clear that union membership is not a panacea. Mass. has a very high rate of union membership…why so against an election? Finally: if it can’t win in a fair election, the union plays unfair — look at what they’ve been doing to BIDMC. Give workers a choice.