Guest essay: Legislation will help resurrect the middle class

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/ci_11560869

By TOMMY WHITEHOUSE

For hard-working, middle-class Americans, resolving to achieve financial stability will be a difficult challenge in these uncertain economic times.

In comparison, big corporations and CEO paychecks keep rising. In 1980, CEO pay was 42 times higher than that of the average worker. Today, this number has risen more than 344 times higher! (The Washington Post, Nov. 15, 2008. "Growing Sense of Outrage Over Executive Pay.")

To ensure the health of our economy and restore the middle class, we need a change. The Employee Free Choice Act aims to give workers the freedom to form unions without fear of intimidation or harassment. This act will help restore America's middle class and strengthen our economy. Here are a few reasons why:

-- Workers in unions earn 30 eprcent higher wages and are 59 percent more likely to have employer provided health coverage. (www.americanrightsatwork.org/publications/statistics/)

-- Joining a union raises a woman's wages by about as much as a full year of college, and her chance at health coverage by more than a four-year college degree. (Center for Economic Research, "Unions and Upward Mobility for Women Workers," Dec. 2008)

The Free Choice Act says that workers can create a union when a majority signs cards, or through an election. It includes meaningful penalties on companies that fire or intimidate workers trying to form a union. Right now, a majority of employers aggressively use both legal and illegal anti-union tactics during union representation elections, which impedes workers' ability to form unions.

Employers faced with organizing campaigns:

-- Fire pro-union workers.

-- Threaten to close a worksite when workers try to form a union.

-- Coerce workers into opposing unions with bribery or favoritism.

-- Hire high-priced union busting consultants to fight union organizing drives.

-- Force employees to attend one-on-one, anti-union meetings with their supervisors.

As soon as workers file a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election, employers often try to prevent the vote from ever taking place. Even when employees overcome the many obstacles to forming a union, management frequently denies them the benefits of collective bargaining by refusing to agree on a first contract.

FULL story at link.