Just what is the EFCA?? (Employee Free Choice Act)

[kentuck]

How would it affect employees? And how would it affect employers? Is this why the Republicans are holding up the nomination of the Representative from CA? Because she is pro-union? How would the EFCA change the workplace?

[Touchdown]

1. Here's some info...

http://www.freechoiceact.org/cwa/pages/efca_learnmore

It is in the name of those workers that CWA is fighting for the Employee Free Choice Act. EFCA provides for the certification of a union as the bargaining representative if the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) finds that a majority of employees in an appropriate bargaining unit have signed written forms designating the union as its collective bargaining agent

EFCA also speeds along the process of bargaining between employer and employees for their first contract by obligating both parties to reach an agreement, through escalating procedures of mediation and arbitration, if necessary.

EFCA requires stronger penalties against employers for engaging in unfair labor practices while employees are attempting to organize or obtain a first contract. The bill mandates that the NLRB must seek a federal court injunction against an employer whenever there is reasonable cause to believe that the employer has discharged employees or discriminated against them or engaged in conduct that interferes significantly with employee rights during an organizing campaign or bargaining for a first contract.

The Act also mandates an award of three times the amount of back pay for illegal discrimination that occurs during efforts to organize or when workers are seeking a first contract. The legislation provides for penalties up to $20,000 per violation against employers found to have willfully or repeatedly violated workers' rights during an organizing campaign or pursuit of a first contract.

Once you've got the facts, sign the petition.
http://www.freechoiceact.org/cwa

[mitchtv]

8. Done; CWA here

TIU also one time teamster too

[frogcycle]

2. google is your friend

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Employee_Free_Choice_Act

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

3. the Wiki page is fairly comprehensive.

Summary, pros and cons, and how it would be applied.


Read for yourself

[LakeSamish706]

4. I know that countries like Canada have it and it keeps the identity of...

an employee private when they actually sign a Union card.

http://www.freechoiceact.org/petition/

[Idealism]

5. It would make it easier for workers to unionize

Therefore, Big Business has spent millions trying to scare you into believing it would hurt you, because they are scared shitless about the EFCA. It would change the workplace because it would give workers more rights through unionization, raising the pay of workers and helping them fight for benefits that corporations are refusing to freely give.

[NNN0LHI]

6. Walmarts worst nightmare

[LakeSamish706]

9. Wouldn't that be something if Walmart were Unionized.... They would probably...

sooner close every store than let that happen!

[patrice]

7. I admit that I'm a little confused about this, but, as it stands now:

Employers can call for a vote on whether there can be a Union in the workplace and Employers can decide whether that vote is public or private.

Employees can, de facto, take a vote also, but they cannot call for that vote on whether there is going to be a Union or not to be public. They can only collect votes privately.

This gives employers the upper hand in the question as to whether there will be a union in the workplace, because they can find out who is supporting the formation of the Union and put pressure on them by calling for a public vote. I suppose employers do in some situations call for private votes, but private votes don't really benefit them that much, other than to help organize opposition to the Union.

Private votes help Unions to some extent, because private votes allow them to test the waters, without too much in the way of consequences, but until the vote actually succeeds, Unions would have a problem with people switching back and forth, depending upon what the employers are up to. Being able to call for a public vote allows the employees who support the Union to solidify their organization and, thus, have a better idea of how to proceed.

One thing that I think is confusing people is that all of this only applies to the FORMATION OF THE UNION. Once the Union is established, employers will have whatever control over negotiations that is available to them now in the status quo.

???