Employee Free Choice Act
The Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Builders and Contractors are against the Employee Free Choice Act because the laws have been in their favor for the last 25 years. The following facts represent how the Act will bring the favor back for the middle class employees:
1. The Employee Free Choice Act would give workers a fair chance to form unions to improve their lives.
2. Research shows nearly 60 million American Workers would form a union immediately if given the chance. Too few ever get that chance because employers routinely block employee efforts to form unions and our current legal system is too broken to stop them. As many as one-quarter of employers illegally fire workers who try to form unions.
3. In the 110th Congress, the Employee Free Choice Act had widespread support.
4. More than three-quarters, or 77 percent, of Americans support strong laws that allow employees the freedom to make their own choice about whether to have a union in their workplace without interference from management.
5. A key step toward rebuilding America's middle class is allowing working people to choose for themselves whether to have a union. Union membership brings better wages and benefits and a real voice on the job. It's no accident that the 25-year decline in worker's wages in our country has paralleled a 25-year slide in the size of the America's unions. On average union members make $200 more a week than their non-union counterparts.
6. The Employee Free Choice Act would put democracy back into the workplace. Majority sign-up would ensure the decision whether to form a union was made by majority choice, not by the employer unilaterally.
Passing the Employee Free Choice Act is top priority so workers genuinely have the freedom to form unions to create balance for working people and rebuild the middle class.
Mark Tomes
Red Lion
What about prevailing wages that the unions are against?
Unions are not against prevailing wages. We just want to see the non-union contractor pay the prevailing wage. They rip off so many workers and the workers can't say anything because as soon as they do the employer fires them. Besides this a whole other topic.
Unions ARE AGAINST prevailing wages! Non-union contrcators must pay prevailing wages and in matter of fact the worker makes more because the unions are not grabbing their dues!
This is not a whole other topic! Prevailing wages are a way for non-union worker to make the same money, or more, without being forced to join a union!
For your information,Unions set the prevailing wage in local areas.So how can unions be against the prevailing wage?The leaders of the non-union sector are pushing to repeal the prevailing wage laws.If that would happen non-union workers would get paid what ever their employer wanted to pay them on a public job.Prevailing wage is determined by the scale of pay for the workers with a collective bargaining agreement in the area.Non-Union workers sometimes get more money on their check when working these jobs because they are not getting the pension benefits that the union worker gets.Countless times Non-Union employers are caught in benefits fraud because they pocket the money that the workers would receive if they were receiving union benefits.If you are a non-union worker you need to make sure you are not getting screwed by your employer if you work on prevailing wage projects.And thank a union worker the next time you work around one, You receive the decent benefits you do because unions fight to KEEP prevailing wage and keep pay standards high for the work you do.Union's are not the enemy.All workers,union and non-union work their jobs every day so they can take home a check to care for their family's.The problem is the Anti-union employers who brain wash and intimidate their workers into making them think they don't need a union agreement or that the employer knows what is best for them.American workers deserve the Employee Free Choice Act now!
Steve Selby
York,Pa
The unions have been againts pre-vailing wages from the beginning. Particularyly when it means non-union workers get the same benefits as union workers!
If you are getting the same benefits as union workewrs why would you want to join a union.
Anericans also have the choice to not belong to a union but the unions do their own bullying when it comes time to vote on unions.
The writer of the previous comment is obviously very confused.I'm in a union.We constantly fight to KEEP prevailing wage to those who wish to repeal it.I do know what you think Mark,but if you are a non-union worker and you receive prevailing wage it is because the unions fight to keep it.Non-union employers don't pay it out of the goodness in their hearts. Also,you need to check your facts because Non-Union workers don't get the same benefits union workers do.In the union we bargain collectively with our employers on wages and benefits. Our contractors pay into our pension and annuity funds not us.Plus we make the "prevailing wage" everywhere.If you are a Non-Union worker and you work on a prevailing wage job,you will not receive these benefits.I would like to explain union dues to you Mark. In a union you pay your dues to keep the protection of having a contract.Just like all Businesses do, they get contracts for jobs and materials.Non-Union companies pay to belong to the ABC which spends all its time fighting in return to keep unions out of construction.So,companies are allowed to pay to belong to associations and businesses can belong to the Chamber of Commerce.Workers though are not allowed to belong to an association of workers?Non-Union workers will actually pay more in non union dues in a year.Non-union has to pay for health care(if you are lucky to have it)plus contribute to a company retirement.Union workers pay small amount in dues(THEY ARE TAX DEFFERED!)pay nothing into our retirement or health care.Still with all this a union worker will bring home on average of $200 more a week.Who is really making out better?
Stephen Selby
The laws require a wage rate that is normally paid for similar work in a geograhical area. Employers are required to compete based on good management, skill and efficiency, not on the wage rates of workers. In providing quality employees, prevailing wage laws promote development of training. A competitive wage provides a stable and highly productive workforce. Prevailing wage laws DO NOT increase the cost of public construction. The focus is on comptition and productivity, not wages. Prevailing Wage laws provide standards and economic stability that benefit the contracting agency, the employer and the employee. This is especially important to teh public who invests in these projects with their own tax dollars.