[Peace-discuss] Fw: Obama Back-pedals on Employee Free Choice Act

Tue Jan 20 17:48:48 CST 2009

Well John,

Obviously you are not aware of many importent facts in regards to the EFCA and what the reality has been for the last several decades, and in particular the last eight years for workers in this country who want to belong to a Union.

To begin with, the United States is the ONLY industrialized country in the world that does NOT have a " card check " system, which is what the EFCA is.
And that is why are Unionization rates are so low, our income disparities are so extreme, U.S. corporate profits at obscene levels, and why employers can almost get away with murder in regards to how their employees are treated in this country.

The current system of U.S. Labor law, NLRB elections, makes unionizing extremely difficult, in that employers can delay the election for up to two years and in the meantime bring in union busting law firms who systematicaly identify key union supporters amongst the employees and then find execuses to fire or lay them off. Then they go to work on the other employees and through a process of intimidation and threats of them losing their jobs, they are frightened into voting against having Union representation.
What fines the employers receive for the breaking the law in terms of the acts of intimidation are pathetic, a slap on the wrist, and hence from their perspective, well worth it. 

With a card check system ( EFCA ), when 50 % plus one employee signs a Union certifrication card, the Union immediately and automatically becomes the bargaining representative of ALL the employees, done deal ! There is nothing the employer can do about it except bargain in good faith with the Union. Employees who do not want to join the Union do not have to, but they do have to pay about 50 % of the normal dues rate, since they benefit from the Union contract's benefits, wage rates, etc.. 
The EFCA would also stiffen the fines against employers who violate the law.

John, you are an intelligent man who is well informed, don't believe the corporate propoganda.

The " old Union paradigm " is as relevant and needed now more then ever.
Remember that it was during the midst of the Great Depression that Unionization rates soared in this country. So don't try and sell me this absurd corporate propoganda.

David J.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: John W. 
  To: unionyes 
  Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 4:08 PM
  Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Fw: Obama Back-pedals on Employee Free Choice Act

  On Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 3:53 PM, unionyes <unionyes at ameritech.net> wrote:

    It's starting already !

    David Johnson

  Yes, how awful.  "Demonic Obama Wants to Save Jobs, Lift Thumb of Management, Foster Dialogue Between Labor and Management".

  Ummm....isn't dialogue, in the form of contract negotiations, what labor and management DO?  And in less ideal circumstances, wouldn't respectful dialogue be preferable to strikes and lockouts and violence?  Maybe the old union paradigm is no long viable.  Maybe we need a new paradigm.

  Here's a perfect example of where ideology seems to make you blind to any sort of creative solution to a problem, Dave.   I'm quite sure there might be a slightly different approach that would be acceptable to both labor and management.  And as Obama says, if there's no viable economy then the Employee Free Choice Act wouldn't be a solution to much of anything.

  John Wason

    ----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry Duncan" <lduncan at igc.org>
    To: <lduncan at igc.org>
    Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 12:07 PM
    Subject: Obama Back-pedals on Employee Free Choice Act

      Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2009
      From: alan <ilcinfo at earthlink.net>
      Subject: Obama Back-pedals on Employee Free Choice Act

      Obama Back-pedals on Employee Free Choice Act

      For more than six weeks, there has been great concern among labor activists that President-elect Barack Obama may not follow up on his solemn campaign pledge to the trade union movement that once in office he would move swiftly to enact the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).

      This concern was prompted by an interview that Rahm Emmanuel gave to the Las Vegas Sun in early December in which he explained that EFCA would not be a priority for the Obama administration. The priority was "reaching across the aisle" on job creation through an economic stimulus program.

      Then came the declaration by Hilda Solis to the Financial Times after she was sworn in where she repeated the view that EFCA, given the current recession, was not an immediate priority for the administration.

      Obama had not spoken about this issue until he gave an interview on Jan. 15 to the Washington Post in which he presented his views on the subject. The transcription of this interview was posted to the website on Jan. 16. It is reprinted below.

      The interview speaks for itself. The back-pedaling has begun. Obama is searching for another EFCA (he is willing to consider an alternative to EFCA) in common with the employers - not one that gives workers the right to organize unions so that they can lift themselves and the entire working class out of the deepening recession.

      The trade union movement has made a solid case that EFCA is a vital and essential component of any serious economic recovery plan aimed at benefiting working people. In light of the back-pedaling, the unions, in alliance with their community partners, will need to step up the fight to ensure that this EFCA is passed -- not tomorrow, but in the new administration's first 100 days!

      - Alan B.

      ********************

      http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/01/obama_on_the_employee_free_cho.php
      Obama On The Employee Free Choice Act
      16 Jan 2009 11:48 am
      Here's a transcribed portion of President-elect Barack Obama's interview yesterday with the Washington Post:

       Q: The Employee Free Choice Act - a timing question and a substance question: in terms of timing how quickly would you like to see it brought up?  Would you like to see it brought up in your first year? In terms of substance, the bills that you talked about in your floor statement on the Employee Free Choice Act problems with bullying of [inaudible] people want to join unions.  Is card check the only solution?  Or are you open to considering other solutions that might shorten the time?

      Obama: I think I think that is a fair question and a good one.

      Here's my basic principal that wages and incomes have flatlined over the last decade.  That part of that has to do with forces that are beyond everybody's control: globalization, technology and so forth. Part of it has to do with workers have very little leverage and that larger and larger shares of our productivity go to the top and not to the middle or the bottom. I think unions serve an important role in that. I think that the way the Bush Administration managed the Department of Labor, the NLRB, and a host of other aspects of labor management relations put the thumb too heavily against unions. I want to lift that thumb. There are going to be steps that we can take other than the Employee Free Choice Act that will make a difference there.

      I think the basic principal of making it easier and fairer for workers who want to join a union, join a union is important. And the basic outline of the Employee Fair Choice are ones that I agree with. But I will certainly listen to all parties involved including from labor and the business community which I know considers this to be the devil incarnate. I will listen to parties involved and see if there are ways that we can bring those parties together and restore some balance.

      You know, now if the business community's argument against the Employee Free Choice Act is simply that it will make it easier for people to join unions and we think that is damaging to the economy then they probably won't get too far with me. If their arguments are we think there are more elegant ways of doing this or here are some modifications or tweaks to the general concept that we would like to see. Then I think that's a conversation that not only myself but folks in labor would be willing to have. But, so that's the general approach that I am interested in taking. But in terms of time table, if we are losing half a million jobs a month then there are no jobs to unionize. So my focus first is on those key economic priority items that I just mentioned.

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