Statistics don’t always tell the whole story, but the recently released numbers on union membership in the U.S. are encouraging. The labor movement made big gains in 2007, attracting more than 300,000 new members. As reported elsewhere in this edition, that’s the biggest increase going all the way back to 1979.All things considered, I think this is great news not just for unions but for all working families. The growth also is a tribute both to the value of union representation and the resilience of workers and organizers taking part in the campaigns.
It’s easy to see the advantages of joining a union. As Seafarers know, union members have a real voice in the workplace. They have the protection of a collective bargaining agreement. Year after year, government data shows that union members are far more likely to earn more money and have better benefits than unrepresented workers.
Meanwhile, private studies consistently show that most people across the country support unions. They also reflect the fact that the majority of unrepresented workers say they would join a union if presented with the opportunity.
Unfortunately, in far too many cases, workers don’t really get a fair shot at exercising their right to join a union. That’s why the AFL-CIO (to which the SIU is affiliated) has pushed so hard for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) – legislation that would restore fairness to the National Labor Relations Board process.
The spin from anti-worker factions is that the EFCA somehow would deprive employees of their rights when it came time to vote on whether or not to join a union. Brothers and sisters, talk about a smokescreen. The truth is that in most modern-day organizing campaigns, workers – and unions – already are fighting an uphill battle all the way. Not because unions don’t have a lot to offer, but rather because the employers pull out all the stops to keep the union out, often including breaking the law.
This isn’t news to anyone who’s been involved in a tough campaign in recent years, but it may surprise others. Companies routinely harass and intimidate pro-union workers during the weeks leading up to a vote. In many documented cases, pro-union workers are unjustly fired. Businesses often spend more to hire union-busting attorneys to cloud the real issues and confuse workers about unions than it would take to pay a fair wage with good benefits.
Even if a majority of workers votes for representation, some companies stall and stall during negotiations for a first contract, while at the same time still attempting to disregard the workers’ choice by getting rid of the union.
How can they get away with those actions? The enforcement of certain labor laws protecting workers in organizing drives is weak or non-existent. Appeals processes take too long. Even for the most enthusiastic union advocate, it can be a very tough fight.
I think it’s un-American to treat workers that way. Employees deserve the chance to freely exercise their right to join (or not join) a union. The law already says so, but reality says something different.
The SIU remains committed along with our fellow unions throughout the AFL-CIO in supporting the Employee Free Choice Act. There is solid backing for the legislation in both houses of Congress. There is legitimate hope that this bill will become law. When it does, the yearly report on union membership will be even better than the current one. And that’ll be good news not just for unions, but for all workers.
Middle-class families are finding it harder and harder to maintain their living standards, much less get ahead. Workers’ wages are stagnating or falling.
Economic inequality in this country is rising to alarming levels. And health insurance and retirement security are increasingly beyond the reach of middle-class families. Our country cannot afford to continue on this course.
At the same time, every day more people are coming to understand that the ability of workers to form and join unions is what laid the foundation for the explosive growth of the American middle class in the post-World War II period. Every day, more people appreciate the role of collective bargaining in promoting broadly shared economic growth and prosperity, higher wages, better jobs, better and more extensive health care coverage, retirement security, and dignity and respect for workers on the job.
The Employee Free Choice Act promises a return to that type of shared prosperity and growth, and that’s why the SIU supports it.
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