Every time Local 400 negotiates a new contract, our companies compare what we have to the non-union competition and try to drag down our working standards. It doesn't have to be this way. With more union members on our side of the table, we can raise working conditions for everyone -- your co-workers and other workers throughout our industries. Unfortunately, the current system for forming unions and bargaining is broken. Every day, corporations deny workers the freedom to decide for themselves whether to form unions to bargain for a better life. They routinely intimidate, harass, threaten, coerce and even fire workers who try to form unions and bargain for economic well-being.

Save Middle Class Jobs Affordable Family Health Care Restore the American Dream for America's Workers

What Would The Employee Free Choice Act Do?

60 million workers say they would join a union if they could.

The Employee Free Choice Act would make it possible for workers to freely choose union representation in a simple, fair process -- 1) In a simple one-step process, if a majority of workers choose to sign up for a union, their company must respect that choice or be held accountable. 2) Companies must fairly negotiate a union contract or submit to binding arbitration. No more company campaigns to deny workers a union contract.

CEOs negotiate multi-million dollar contracts for themselves, but find it outrageous when workers want to expercise the same freedom to have a union contract.

Working people are falling behind. Protecting the right of workers to freely choose to join a union goes hand in hand with protecting the middle class. The best chance for ALL workers to get ahead is to join a union. Over the last 30 years, wages have stagnanted; health care costs have skyrocketed and bankrupted many familes; and retirement security has been undermined. 60 million workers say they would join a union right now if they could. Why? They know that coming together to bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions is the best path to getting ahead. Without legislative reform. America's working families will continue to fall behind.

Union Members earn 30% higher wages than non-union workers. Union Members are 62% more likely to have employer health coverage. Union Members are four times more likely to have a pension.

 Download a Worksite Leaflet

Employee Free Choice Act - Choices (links to internal pdf)

Employee Free Choice Act - American Dream (links to internal pdf)

Employer Interference by the Numbers (links to internal pdf - statistics courtesy of American Rights at Work)

The Politics of Passage

On March 1, 2007 the House of Representatives passed the Employee Free Choice Act, with 241 Representatives voting for this important bill that would make it easier for millions of working people to achieve the American Dream. Click here (links to outside webpage) to see who voted for the bill.

The bill must now be passed in the Senate and signed by the President to become law.

Click Here for the full text of the Employee Free Choice Act. (links to outside webpage)

The Employee Free Choice Act was introduced as bipartisan legislation by Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Peter King (R-N.Y.). 

President Barack Obama Supports Employee Free Choice.   "I support this bill because in order to restore a sense of shared prosperity and security, we need to help working Americans exercise their right to organize under a fair and free process and bargain for their fair share of the wealth our country creates. The current process for organizing a workplace denies too many workers the ability to do so. The Employee Free Choice Act offers to make binding an alternative process under which a majority of employees can sign up to join a union. Currently, employers can choose to accept--but are not bound by law to accept--the signed decision of a majority of workers. That choice should be left up to workers and workers alone."  - Barack Obama

   Additional Resources

Back Pay Award Shows Need for Employee Free Choice Act. (links to internal webpage) Read how employer tactics hit a Local 400 organizing drive and how the union fought back.

The New York Times has added its voice to the growing chorus of support for the legislation to restore workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions. Read the editorial here. (links to outside webpage)

Every year more than 23,000 people in the United States will be fired or discriminated against for supporting a union at work.  Watch a short video from American Rights at Work (links to outside webpage) about these workers. At the end of the video there is a link that allows you to send a message to your Representative and Senator urging them to support the Employee Free Choice Act.

Q&A on the Employee Free Choice Act (links to outside webpage)

Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Report (links to outside webpage)

Ensuring the Economy Works for Everyone Again (American Rights at Work Report) (links to outside pfd)