My Perspective: Unionizing America

The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is attempting to unionize America. However the Employee Free Choice Act might not really be a free choice act. In fact it is being pushed by many unions most notably the Service Employee International Union because it would intimidate many people to unionize even when they don’t want to unionize. The Employee Free Choice Act would also eliminate secret ballot voting amongst union membership. Therefore the Employee Free Choice is being viewed as critical for America’s future but the reality is that it could be bad for business depending on who you talk to.

The EFCA was being viewed to as critical to America’s future economic viability. Supporters of the EFCA are saying that our nation’s workers are struggling to make ends meet, and our middle class are disappearing. At the same time, the best opportunity for working people have to get ahead economically is by uniting to bargain with employers for better wages and benefits. The EFCA improves the current system for forming unions and bargaining which is currently broken.

EFCA supporters believe that every day corporations deny workers the freedom to decide for themselves. Proponents of EFCA say that corporations routinely intimidate, harass, coerce and even fire workers trying to form unions to bargain for economic well-being. Supporters also believes that those who oppose EFCA consists of those most responsible for the current economic meltdown, namely conservative politicians and their corporate benefactors—for instance, low-wage, anti-worker monoliths like Wal-Mart, which is obsessed with keeping workplaces union-free.

However those who argue against EFCA say that those who support the Employee Free Choice Act only want it because it makes it easier for workers to unionize. Secondly those who support EFCA are mainly large unions like the Service Employee International Union (SEIU) who marched on capitol hill and told Democrats to keep their promise or else. In fact SEIU helped many Democrats get elected from 2006-2008 and where the biggest contributors to the Obama campaign as well as Democratic campaigns all across America. SEIU wants the EFCA bill because many of their workers took leaves of absences from their jobs in order to work for the Obama campaign and to get Democrats elected nationwide.

In fact SEIU and those who support EFCA want to remove secret ballots and that is something that business groups are worried about. Those who oppose EFCA argue why do supports of EFCA who want it easier to unionize want to take away one of the most secret pieces to a democracy which is secret ballots. In fact the Employee Free Choice Act would make many unionized states like Michigan less attractive for corporations looking to locate operations elsewhere. In a time of an economic recession, it is clear that states in the south that are not unionized states are striving better than states of north and in the west. Unionized states will not be better off if the current EFCA bill passes that strips private voting away.

Now at the same time there are supports of EFCA that say that the change to unions will make voting fairer for many union workers. The EFCA would require a card check authorization system of voting which is the only real way to eliminate abuses on both sides of the labor organization discussion, as the time needed to decide this issue at each workplace would drop dramatically, says one union worker. Some union workers argue that this card check authorization would stop corporations from spending large amounts of time and money to hammer employees, and union organizers, with threats of dismissal and inundate them with all forms of antiunion propaganda. To be fair, the card-check system would also eliminate the heavy-handed approach of some union organizers.

In this economic climate, it is imperative that the prosperity of the forgotten middle class be considered again, not only in this instance, but in all matters in the foreseeable future. However the Employment Free Choice Act seems like a good act on the surface but the reality is that it empowers many unions and would increase union membership nationwide. Since 1983, the rate of union membership has declined from a peaking 20.1% to nearly 14%. Also the EFCA bill would be the most ridicule law in union history. If the law passes, it would literally force many workers to want to join unions even if they don’t want to. Think about the average union due is 1%-1.5% of a workers base pay. So by unionizing America, it would not only strengthen union membership but the pockets of unions to argue with corporations on behalf of workers thus creating many quote unquote worker strikes and lock outs many times.

When unions are formed, they can cause more harm than good to many companies and cities because of the amount of power many unions demand as well as concessions unions get for their workers. Unions can be good but lately unions have hurt many cities and have caused more harm than good for many workers. In fact from talking to many union workers, they explain to me that the benefits of a union is protection from simply being fired and the legal battles in the forms of grievances that unions back their members with. Therefore the EFCA might be an attempt to unionize America but at the same time, it shouldn’t be something that forces companies to accept unions. Unions might be good at times but for some corporations and small businesses unionize would destroy many thus forcing them to go out of business during a time of a recession.

The only place in America that doesn’t allow unions is our nation’s capitol Washington, D.C. The reason why unions are not allowed in D.C. is because of the staff of legislators and government offices unionized than it would create a blockage of work when it comes to negotiations about salaries and other benefits for employees. Can you imagine a work stoppage on Capitol Hill? That’s why unions are not allowed in our nation’s capitol and why many politicians including some Democrats fear the EFCA bill because it would probably create more problems than needed. The Employee Free Choice Act needs to researched and looked into further. The Democrats should not be pressured into passing the Employee Free Choice Act no matter who helped many of them get elected.

I hope everyone pays attention to this law and doesn’t allow it to go through as written. If the taking out of secret ballots is kept in the Employee Free Choice Act is allowed that it would do more harm than good in my opinion. Nonetheless the EFCA has some merit but not as it is written.