WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman John F. Tierney (D-Salem), a senior member on The Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions (HELP), joined his colleagues in spotlighting one of the most fundamental labor law reform proposals since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act. The Employee Free Choice Act, strengthens America's labor law by: increasing penalties for violations of workers rights, guaranteeing workers an additional way of forming a union, and establishing more meaningful good faith bargaining practices. The legislation, introduced by Education and Labor Chairman George Miller (D-CA) and co-sponsored by Congressman Tierney was the subject of today's hearing on strengthening the middle class.

“In this district we have numerous industries with strong union participation benefiting the performance of companies and strengthening family situations simultaneously. In Lynn, General Electric represents a viable international company that succeeds with an active union employee base. Unions have helped set norms and standards beneficial to workers which become generalized throughout the economy. The Coordinated Bargaining Committee of General Electric Unions (CBC), was formed in the late 1960's to coordinate and enhance each union's collective bargaining strength at this giant multinational corporation and has forged a beneficial relationship with the company. They recognized then that greater employee protection- as is ensured by the parameters of this legislation- in one company can lead to an improved corporate environment industry wide. Now that is the kind of trickle down effect our workforce deserves. G.E. and the local union frequently work to improve situation for employees and the company,” said Tierney.

The National Labor Relations Board, enacted by Congress in 1935, was designed to protect employee choice on whether to form unions, but it has been turned upside down. Some employers have turned the NLRB election process into management-controlled balloting- the employer can control much of the information workers receive and routinely manipulate the process by intimidating, harassing, coercing and even firing people who try to organize unions; and, many of the law’s penalties are so insignificant that several companies treat them as just another cost of doing business.

Tierney continued, “Interestingly, one of the measures we use in assessing another nation’s commitment to freedom and democracy is whether or not it allows freedom of association and speech.”

Under the Employee Free Choice Act, if a majority of workers in a workplace sign cards authorizing a union, then the workers would get a union. By contrast, under current law, even when a majority of workers ask for union representation, their employers can force them to undergo an election process administered by the NLRB where the deck can be stacked heavily against pro-union workers.

According to recent data, NLRB workers are consistently denied the right to determine for themselves whether to form a union. As witnesses attested at today’s hearing, worker bargaining power is often usurped by employers who routinely intimidate, harass, coerce, reassign or even fire workers who support a union. A Center for Economic Policy Research report found that as many as one in five union activists are fired for legal organizing activities. But, on average, workers who belong to unions earn 30 percent more than nonunion workers, and they are much more likely to have healthcare and pension benefits.

At the hearing there were two panels of witnesses- one of workers who have attempted to organize unions and have seen the problems firsthand and one of legal and economic experts on the bill.

“Today we heard from witnesses who have attempted to organize and been shut out of the process. It is time we restore the ability for working families to have a voice to improve their lives through unions and the better bargaining practices they can facilitate,” explained Tierney.

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