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Survey: Public Strongly Supports Employee Free Choice |
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A new survey released today shows 78 percent of those polled want to see legislation that protects workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain for a better life—great news and a strong signal to Congress and President-elect Barack Obama that we need to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.
The survey of 1,007 adults across the country, conducted Dec. 4-10 for the AFL-CIO by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, shows a striking level of support for the provisions of the Employee Free Choice Act and the freedom to form unions. This support crosses party and state lines, with 74 percent of those who identify as moderate or liberal Republicans in favor; conservative Republicans were the only group not expressing majority support. Support remains steady, even when those surveyed heard messages from both supporters and opponents of the bill.
Here are some key findings:
- 75 percent of those surveyed support recognizing a union when a majority of workers have signed up in support.
- 64 percent support strengthening penalties against companies who illegally intimidate or fire workers who are trying to form a union.
- 61 percent favor binding arbitration if a company will not agree to a first contract. (This provision had the highest number of respondents who weren’t sure how they felt about it.)
These survey results are consistent with a survey done last fall by American Rights at Work showing strong support for the Employee Free Choice Act and the freedom to form unions.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said the findings send a strong message on behalf of workers’ freedom to bargain and the importance of bargaining rights to a stronger economy.
In today’s economic squeeze, workers need the freedom to bargain their way into the middle class more than ever. This new research confirms that the vast majority of Americans support workers’ freedom to form unions to improve their lives and support the Employee Free Choice Act, which is key to making our economy work for everyone.
Politicians, pundits and the press should listen up: America’s working families understand that a stronger economy and a thriving middle class depend upon restoring workers’ freedom to bargain for a better life. They’re not buying into anti-worker disinformation campaigns. It’s time to listen to that message and pass the Employee Free Choice Act.
Click here to learn more about the survey findings.
8 Comments
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The Employee Free Choice Act is not a cure all for a falling percentage of the workforce belonging to unions. But it will be a major step in the right direction. Those ads by management groups that ran in the fall were disgusting, painting labor leaders as thugs.
What about the goons management hired in the 1930’s until the federal government stepped in to get rid of pro-union workers and bring in scabs. The same will happen today if the EFCA is not passed.
While organized labor has put all it’s effort behind this new EFCA law, Obama and the Democrats are about to further undermine and destroy the few existing programs essential for the survival of working people in the U.S. today.
By forever focusing on the “evil” of McKain and Pallin, the labor movement has uncritically supported “lesser evil” Obama and the
Democrats. The historic failure to provide critical leadership to working people, organized and unorganized, is now about to be rewarded with the economic destruction of all working people.
Obama prepares sweeping cuts in social programs
8 January 2009
Patrick Martin
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jan2009/pers-j08.shtml
“Barack Obama took the occasion of his first press appearance in Washington as president-elect to declare his determination to impose policies of budgetary austerity, including the elimination of entire federal programs and cost-cutting in the entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid that are of vital importance to tens of millions of elderly and poor people.”
…
“Four years ago, George W. Bush began his second term as president by proposing a sweeping privatization of Social Security, a measure which was never formally introduced in Congress due to overwhelming popular opposition. The plan was quietly shelved after the debacle of Hurricane Katrina demonstrated the Bush administration’s gross incompetence and utter indifference to the plight of poor and working class Americans. It has thus been left to Obama, who occasionally postures as the heir of Franklin Roosevelt, to take responsibility for dismantling the last legacy of the New Deal.”
The above article says,
“Politicians, pundits and the press should listen up: America’s working families understand that a stronger economy and a thriving middle class depend upon restoring workers’ freedom to bargain for a better life. They’re not buying into anti-worker disinformation campaigns. It’s time to listen to that message and pass the Employee Free Choice Act”.
Yes indeed!
And AFL-CIO leadership should listen to the message of 66% of our population, including several hundred labor organizations, and numerous faith-based and community groups: WE DEMAND NATIONAL, COMPREHENSIVE, ACCESSIBLE, SINGLE-PAYER HEALTH CARE !!!!!
Why hasn’t the Federation endorsed HR 676, the Unted States National Health Insurance Act?
Politicians, pundits, the press, and labor’s “officialdom” should listen up !!!
I doubt that EFCA is going to get passed. The climate with big business and our economy will prevent it from moving forward. If you don’t see it in the next six months you will not see it in the next four years. Remeber Clinton promised labor many things for our support and he didn’t hold his end of the bargain up. We may see help with the NLRB and some of the unjust rules they set forth over the past eight years changed back to protect workers and give them a fair shot at organizing, but EFCA, no way!
In Australia, all working people have the right to associate freely with the Trade Unions, this is a legal right at a Federal level. It is unlawfull for an Employer to tell you that you are not able to be a member of your relevant Trade Union. Now surley, in a Nation as rich in Union Heratige as the United States, a similar Bill should be passed to end the disgusting hold that the employers hold over their workforce. Keep fighting, this is a battle that the Unions can and must win.
Solidarity
Trent Abberfield Finance Sector Union Australia
Dear T283
“…but EFCA, no way!” That’s it? Just accept the crumbs we are thrown and get on with our humble lives?
Laboring people only made gains when they had the gumption to take economic action to secure justice. Timid, milk-toast labor “leaders” of today are afraid to call for a mobilization of workers. That’s why ranks and file all across America need to go to membership meetings and demand action!
The GOP is spitting in our faces. If we let them get away with it then we deserve no more than the crumbs we are thrown.
It’s time to put some movement back into the labor movement!
I firmly believe in the employee free choice act, because employees are no match for the union busting companies that employers use against workers . The companies should not be able to use these firms. The only problem I see with employee Free Choice, is the type of jobs that are available. Most jobs now, are warehouse, retail, and fast food jobs. With the warehouse jobs, where there are a lot of people, I fear that if they do join unions, the companies will just pick up and move , and the people will still be unrepresented and have no job, With those type jobs, and with the massive unemployment I fear that the companies will still be able to use the fear of losing their jobs against workers. I feel it will work real well where you have skilled workers and is harder for employers to pick up and move, and find more skilled people
Thank you
Some interesting posts. There seems to be some frustration with the AFL-CIO’s electoral strategy, which I share. As Rich points out, the only success the US labor has had was due to direct action. The campaign for the eight-hour day back in the 1880s and 1890s is a good example. Labor was so active during that time the period became known as The Great Upheaval.
Today, we should take a look at the actions taken by labor during that time, as well as the success of the massive marches and rallies held by Hispanic-Americans a few years back.
Working people need to take to the streets of Washington and major regional centers to illustrate our strength in a material and memorable way. Whether organized by the national unions or by ad-hoc organizations hardly matters. Talk up the idea with co-workers and friends; once you’ve found people willing to act, organize a pressure group to get the support of your union locals and sympathetic groups in your communities. Keep working to spread the word to people and existing organizations. Form a “March on Washington” organization if you want, but keep pushing. As T283 points out, if EFCA isan’t passed in the next six months it won’t be passed during Obama’s term in office. But that not an excuse to give up without even trying.