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House Passes Employee Free Choice Act |
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| Errol Hohrein, left, and Teresa Joyce, right, who told Congress about their experiences forming unions, celebrate the House vote with Rep. Robert Andrews (D-N.J.), center. |
After more than five hours of historic debate, the House of Representatives passed the most important labor law reform legislation in 70 years.
By a margin of 241–185, the House passed H.R. 800, which would level the playing field when workers seek to form a union and bargain. Thirteen Republicans joined 228 Democrats in voting for the bill. Two Democrats and 183 Republicans voted against the bill.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney says the House vote:
…marks a momentous turning point in the growing movement to restore our nation’s middle class. Today, the voices of tens of millions of working people who deserve the right to make a free choice to bargain for a better life have been heard and heeded on Capitol Hill.
Because of today’s vote, the future looks a little brighter to all Americans who have watched corporations celebrate record profits, but have themselves been shut out of the party, left with stagnant wages and facing soaring costs. A union card is the single best ticket into the middle- class and, thanks to the Employee Free Choice Act, working people may finally have the chance to be part of a union.
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| Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and Rep. George Miller on Capitol Hill yesterday for the House’s historic vote. |
Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen, who chairs the AFL-CIO Executive Council Committee on Organizing, said:
Congress today has recognized that collective bargaining is critical in this democracy as it is in every other democracy around the world. Passage today of the Employee Free Choice Act by the House of Representative is a first step towards restoring the core of the preamble of the National Labor Relations Act passed 70 years ago that commits our government to promote collective bargaining in the workplace, not an endless legal battle with management declaring war on their own employees.
In a last-minute, desperate effort to delay passage of the bill, Republicans tried to get the bill recommitted or sent back to committee. Republicans wanted to add a provision that only U.S. citizens be allowed to sign union authorization cards. The House rejected the recommitment by a margin of 225–202.
Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) lashed out at the Republicans, calling the recommitment ploy a cynical act. He pointed out that under the current law it’s up to employers to ensure that all their workers are documented. Trying to move that responsibility to unions is just another example of Republican anti-worker sentiment, he said.
This [recommitment move] just shows how much you really hate workers.
The Employee Free Choice Act has strong bipartisan support. Introduced by Miller, the bill has 233 co-sponsors. Democrats made it clear that the purpose of the bill was not pro-union or pro-business, but pro-worker. During the debate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said
Democrats believe we must make our economy fairer. We took the first step in our first 100 hours, with a strong bipartisan vote to increase the minimum wage. And today, we take the next step, with a strong bipartisan vote to ensure that America’s working families have the right to organize.
The right to organize means a better future for them, and for all us. It means a future that is economically and socially just, a future where the workplace is safe, a future where our retirement is secure.
Click here to see videos of some of the speeches on the House floor during the debate.
Pelosi, who had been on the House floor all day, returned to the Speaker’s chair to announce the vote tally.
Working families made this bill a key priority. The AFL-CIO sent more than 5 million e-mails messages to online activists on Employee Free Choice Act. During a week of action, workers in more than 100 cities met with members of Congress and community leaders to push for passage of the act. Actions included conferences, worker roundtables, rallies and other gatherings, with workers and union and community leaders meeting with at least 130 members of Congress.
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Step one down. On to the Senate!!!
[...] The House of Representatives just passed the Employee Free Choice Act, which I wrote about here. The bill, which would enable workers to unionize with less fear of employer harassment and intimidation, passed overwhelmingly, 241-185. [...]
Well there’s the senate then the president……. I don’t see Bush letting this pass easily.
The good news is this is the farthest a bill like this has gotten in three decades. However, there still is the Senate and the right wing will pull out all the stops to fight this. We have moral authority on our side and we have to get the truth out.
Whoo hooo!!!
is there really anyway this is going to become law if the president has threatened to veto it? there isn’t anyway that enough Senators (especially Republicans) will go to bat for this law to overrun his veto without gutting and weakening the bill
[...] Some where George Orwell, 1903-1950, is looking up and grinning. The House has passed a bill intented to strip workers of their right to a free elections, with the diabolical title of Employee Free Choice Act, Only in Moscow, the former Soviet Union, Fidel Castro’s Cuba, or Mrs. Pelosi’s House of Representatives, would a bill intended strip workers of their right to a free and secret elections be called a free choice act. [...]
Wonderful news, keep it coming. Now, on to convencing the U.S. Senate to do likewise. Charlie Williams, IAM Member, San Diego, CA
[...] There’s more from the AFL-CIO and Speaker Pelosi called it, “..the most important labor law reform legislation of this generation.” Not to be out done ‘ol “foot-in-mouth” Carter said this in his press release: “Such mandated card checks would result in undue intimidation and pressure on American workers,” Congressman Carter continued. “To claim that a fair, secret election could be conducted under such circumstances is a joke.” [...]
I think it is wonderful that this bill has passed the house, but it appears that it will be another half victory which is no victory at all. This is not going to pass the Senate and the whole thing will have to start over if it does not get passed this session.
I fail to understand why we are celebrating something that is not going to benefit labor for some time to come
This is LONG overdue. Everybody in America ,,,,,ESPECIALLY AMERICA deserves the right to their free choice , to go wherever and in whatever way to obtain a better living for the individual and their families…….It truly amazes me that in America, of all places, no other place like this country in the whole world,,,the country that supposedly wants everyone in the world to have freedom…….it is hard to believe that we have individual that are supposed to represent the American people,,,,,,however some of these same individuals CONTINUE TO DENY RIGHTS TO WORKING PEOPLE……..WHAT A SHAME AND A DISGRACE. I hope these individuals are truly proud of themselves.
It sounds to me that the comment by bitsblog is somewhat out of step with reality. Stalin, Castro and all the other despots always held secret ballot elections that were not free or fair and always went their way. This new law will not strip people of choice, they can always refuse to sign a card, it will remove the intimidation factor that the company’s always use against the workers. Come on bitsblog use your head. George Orwell’s stories are already true. We are just fighting back against the big brother that you do not see.
I think it is great that this bill passed the house but we know it has nil to no chance of passing the Senate so I don’t know what we are suppose to celebrate.
And even if it does pass the Senate the Prez will veto and overrides are going to be tough.
[...] The House of Representatives passed the Employee Free Choice Act by a margin of 241 to 185 (13 Republicans voted for it). This was a great victory even if the bill faces probable filibuster in the Senate (Big Business (aka the US Chamber of Commerce) has made this their top legislative target to defeat) and a certain veto by Bush - similar to his likely anti-worker veto of the 9/11 legislation because it contains a provision allowing workers to organize a union. [...]
The Republicans in Florida that voted against this Bill are the biggest Hypocrits in the World. Many are Cuban-American and support freedom in Cuba, but apparently not in America.
I watched the whole thing on C-SPAN.The best part was watching the Republicans while they spoke against the bill.You could see how frustrated they were.They were telling every lie they could think of about unions.They were so used to running the show.Even after the final vote they were still on the floor venting their anger.It hurts them because they realize that if they could have maintained just a couple of seats advantage in the House;this bill,even with a House majority of co-sponsors,would never have made to the floor.
now is the time to put some teeth into the free choice act, and this must be done by jumping all over our local dissenting politicians. out here in oregon sen. smith and rep. wyden are our corporate poster boys. for instance, smith supports a cigarette tax for funding child health care but he wouldn’t dream of supporting higher wages for emplyees to be able to afford to purchase the health care themselves. tax the minority on the bottom and support the growing wealth of the corporations and private sector on the other end. sound all too familiar? lets get after these people and show ‘em who really has the power. lets work to force them out of office in the next election. smith is growing ripe on the vine and now is the time!