Rebuilding America’s Middle Class

Employee Free Choice Act

Employee Free Choice Act Good

Trade/Offshoring Policy

Good Trade/Offshoring

Policy

Fair TaxesFair Taxes

Infrastructure, “Green Jobs”

Investment

Infrastructure, “Green Jobs”

Investment

Health CareReform

Health CareReform

New Main Street Economic Recovery Package

New Main Street Economic Recovery Package

JobsJobs

Re-regulate Financial Sector

Re-regulate Financial Sector

EMPLOYEES’FREEDOM

TO BARGAINThe Key to Rebuilding Our

Middle Class

What If Presidential Elections Were Conducted Like

Union Recognition Elections?

2008

John McCain Barack ObamaVS.

McCain would have unlimited TV time, including several hours a day of compulsory viewing time.

Obama, would be restricted to door-to-door canvassing

Obama would have to campaign from Canada or Mexico; neither he nor his aides would be allowed in the country.

Obama voters risk losing their jobs.

The Whitehouse could fire one voter in every precinct,to send voters a message, and chill the campaign.

McCain can delay the election if he thinks he’ll do better later.

Let’s suspend the election, Sarah, for these good people can get their heads screwed on straight!

Let’s suspend the election, Sarah, for these good people can get their heads screwed on straight!

The election is held in hostile headquarters and voters file by hostile officials as they vote.

What does a flawed process mean for APWU Members?

• A large pool of non-union workers allows corporations to put downward pressure on all workers attempts to negotiate for better pay and benefits.

• Plans to privatize the postal service begin with contracting out work to companies with unorganized, lower paid workers

• Real “family values” are parents home at night with their children; NOT working 3 jobs to make ends meet!

Employee Free Choice Act

• Allow workers to choose how they form their union – whether by majority sign up or election

• Strengthen penalties for companies that break the law when workers are trying to form unions       

• Establish mediation and binding arbitration when the employer and workers cannot agree on a first contract

Knowledge of the Process Remains Limited

- Only 47% of the public knows that employers oppose unions

- 60% of union members know that employers oppose (up 6 points since 2006).

Strong Support For Employee Free Choice Act

29%

49%

44%

21%

37% 73%

Support for Employee Free Choice after hearing provisions

Allows employees to have a union once a majority of employees in a workplace sign authorization cards indicating they want to form a union

Strengthens penalties for companies that illegally intimidate or fire employees who try to form a union

75%

Establishes binding arbitration in cases where a company and a newly certified union cannot agree on a contract after three months of negotiating

64%

61%

Strongly favor Somewhat favor Oppose

Attacks Against Employee Free Choice Act

• Coalition for a Democratic Workplace

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce

• Retail Industry Leaders Association

• Associated Buildings and Contractors

• National Right to Work

• Rick Berman front groups

We’re up against a $200 million organized opposition:

We’re up against a $200 million organized opposition:

• Eliminates the Secret Ballot

• Not Needed Because the Current

Process Resembles Political Elections

• Bad for Jobs – Bad for Economy

• Will Increase Union Coercion

• Eliminates the Secret Ballot

• Not Needed Because the Current

Process Resembles Political Elections

• Bad for Jobs – Bad for Economy

• Will Increase Union Coercion

Attacks Against Employee Free Choice Act

Eliminates Secret Ballot -FALSE-

• NLRA currently sets 30% as threshold to get an election

• Majority sign-up has been legal since 1935

• NLRA remains intact after the Employee Free Choice Act

Union Coercion-FALSE-

42 Cases of union misconduct (cards)

since 1935

Employer Coercion- TRUE-

Illegal Retaliation by Employers Against Workers for Forming Unions

• 6,000 cases in 1969

• 20,000 cases in 1990

• 30,000 cases in 2007

THE MIDDLE CLASS IS IN TROUBLE.• CEOs make record high salaries while corporations

like Wal-Mart drive down wages• Wages are stagnating as prices are rising• Taxpayers are bailing out Wall Street

UNIONS STRENGTHEN THE MIDDLE CLASS.

• They earn 30% more than non union workers and are 50% more likely to have health care benefits and pensions

• They provide economic stability at a time of severe economic unrest

• As the country works at rebuilding our economy under Obama, unions help ensure the benefits go to all workers, not just those at the top

• Currently, companies, not employees, get to decide how workers can try and form unions

• One in five union activists are fired when trying to form a union

• The current company-controlled process eliminates workers’ ability to exercise their true choice through the one-sided campaign

THE CURRENT SYSTEM ROBS EMPLOYEES OF A FREE CHOICE.

Union Movement-Wide Effort

• Affiliate Leadership and Membership Involvement in all efforts

• State Federations and Central Labor Council Leadership

• CTW and NEA Engagement

Legislative Targeting and Lobbying

• Re-sign co-sponsors

• Newly elected who had our support

• Soft-support Democrats

• Republicans we can move

Focus is the Senate with some targeted House work:

• Message and spokesperson training for union leaders at all levels

• High-visibility events

• Rapid response

• Full-scale paid and earned media

Aggressive Public and Member Communication

Membership Mobilization

• Union Meetings / Discussions

• Local Union Mail/ Worksite Leafleting

• Letters - 1 %

• Phone Calls - 1 %

• Delegation Visits to Members of Congress

• Worker Spokespersons

Recruiting and Coordinating Allies

• American Rights at Work

• Community-based organizations

• Faith-based organizations/Clergy

• Academics and student groups

• Elected leaders and Democratic Party influentials

• International support

Building on Strength and Success

• Labor 2008

• Six years of Employee Free Choice Act campaign

• Majority support in Congress

“I’ll make it the law of the land.” — Barack Obama

Questions?

Terese Bouey, AFL-CIO

202-639-6293

tbouey@aflcio.org

866 # SENATORS

AK(Murkowski)AR(Lincoln, Pryor)CA (Feinstein)CO (Udall, Bennet)DE (Carper)FL (Nelson)IN Bayh)LA(Landrieu)ME (Snowe)

MT (Baucus)

NC (Hagan)

ND (Dorgan,Conrad)

NE (Nelson)

OH (Voinovich)

PA (Specter)

VA(Warner, Webb)

WI (Kohl)