Business Owners, Elected Leaders Support Employee Free Choice

by Seth Michaels, Mar 31, 2009

U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey (left), an Employee Free Choice Act co-sponsor, meets with Denver-area union leaders Mike Cerbo, Tina DeSautels and John Fleck.

Over the past week, union members have made more than 4,000 calls and sent more than 8,000 letters to members of Congress urging them to support the Employee Free Choice Act to protect workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain.

Meanwhile, more and more small business owners, community members and lawmakers are indicating their support for the proposed legislation, which would level the playing field for workers seeking to form unions.

Events with entrepreneurs and business owners are taking place around the country as hundreds of business leaders are coming out in support of the Employee Free Choice Act. One such business leader is Ray Kohl, owner of Goldenrod Printing in Lincoln, Neb.

The Employee Free Choice Act is important to me because I think employees need some control over their working environment. I think it’s really important that they have a say in their conditions that they work under, the benefits and pay that they receive for their work.

Nebraska workers rally for the Employee Free Choice Act.

Small business events and corporate accountability events in support of the Employee Free Choice Act are being held around the country, including Florida, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Arkansas.

In Colorado, Rep. Betsy Markey met with members of the Postal Workers (APWU) last week to explain why she, as a member of Congress, a former business owner and a supporter of workers, has signed on as a co-sponsor:

For me, signing on to the Employee Free Choice Act was pretty much a no-brainer. It’s a good piece of legislation, it’s been a long-time coming. I did make a commitment to supporting it when I was a candidate because it was the right thing to do. You know, I come to union meetings like this on Saturday mornings and it’s men and women who are working hard, a lot of times you see kids there. They’re working for not just themselves but for their families and their kids.

We need to maintain a strong middle class, which we are losing quickly. This is the right thing to do. And I’ve told my friends at the Chamber of Commerce, “I’m going to be straight with you. Yes, I support the Employee Free Choice Act, it’s the right thing to do—you ought to as well.” I mean, management and workers need to both be sitting at the table and have an equal say.

In Missouri, state AFL-CIO director Randy Kiser reports that 213 union members met this week to call Sen. Claire McCaskill and ask her to support the Employee Free Choice Act.

And, in Pennsylvania, while the anti-union corporate front groups are attempting to claim working-class cred by sending “Joe the Plumber” on tour (a little bit like dancing the Macarena to show how hip and trendy you are), real plumbers are rallying in support of the Employee Free Choice Act.

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