Tues. Radio: Workers Rights; Big Business Mobilizes to Spike
Workers Organizin
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Traven
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Jun 06, 2008 09:59 PDT
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Tune in to hear Fred Azcarate, Director
of the Voice@Work Campaign of the AFL-CIO, and former Director of Jobs
with Justice, on Equal Time
Radio, - - Tues. June 10th on WDEV 550AM/96.1FM - on the fight for
workers' right to organize. Fred will be joined by Vermont workers who
have experienced employer union busting first hand. Call in at 244-1777
or 1-877-291-8255.
Chamber of Commerce Warns About Pro-Union
Bills, EconomyBy Christina M. Wright, Of DOW JONES
NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Amid predictions of Democratic gains in the
November elections, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned Thursday of
further economic harm if the next Congress passes numerous pro-union
bills.
"What's going on on the Hill is a radical rewrite of our nation's
employment laws," Randel Johnson, the Chamber's vice president, told
reporters. The push for this rewrite is "more bold and more
aggressive" than has been seen in decades, he added.
The Employee Free Choice Act tops the long list of legislation opposed by
the chamber.
The bill, if passed, would allow a majority of employees to vote to form
a union without waiting on a secret ballot overseen by the National Labor
Relations Board.
Steven Law, the chamber's chief legal officer and general counsel, said
passage of this pro-union bill and others would be "bad for workers,
first of all, and employers, and ultimately, our economy."
Fred Azcarate, the director of the Voice at Work Campaign for AFL-CIO,
said the proposal would let employees choose between a secret ballot
union election or a check card decision. In the check card process,
employees openly sign a card and a union is formed if the majority sign
in favor of it.
The Employee Free Choice Act passed through the House of Representatives
in March 2007, but the GOP blocked it in the Senate last week. This
measure, as well as others, is sure to come up next year, said
Law.
Law and Johnson said the AFL-CIO is attempting to take advantage of the
switch in political power in Congress. But the AFL-CIO's Azcarate
disagreed, and said the measures currently backed by his federation are
"longstanding concerns of the working men and women."
The chamber plans to launch a lobbying campaign in states whose senators
have either strongly opposed or strongly supported the Employee Free
Choice Act.
The AFL-CIO countered by saying the Employee Free Choice Act is meant to
bolster a failing economy. Azcarate said a survey by the Employee Benefit
Research Institute says unionized workers are paid 30% more than
non-unionized workers and are 50% more likely to have health insurance
and pension plans.
Another piece of legislation on the Chamber of Commerce's watchlist is
the " Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act," which the chamber said
would eliminate the statute of limitations for some types of compensation
on discrimination claims. However, the chamber sees some room for
compromise on the Ledbetter proposal, such as cases involving blatant
discrimination, Law said.
Other pro-labor bills the chamber opposes include expansion of the
Americans with Disabilities Act, the Plant Closing Law, the Family and
Medical Leave Act expansion, and the Workplace Religious Freedom Act.
-By Christina M. Wright, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6687;
christina.wright@ dowjones.com
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Equal Time Radio
WDEV 550AM/96.1FM - 244-1777 or 1-877-291-8255
Mon-Thurs 1-2pm
http://www.equaltimeradio.com/
Have a show idea, email: Trav-@earthlink.net
Missed our show? Find the audio from past shows on High Road Vermont's
website at
http://www.highroadvermont.org/
and
http://www.equaltimeradio.com/
blog:
http://highroadvt.blogspot.com/
email: in-@highroadvermont.org
Traven Leyshon
55 E. Bear Swamp Rd.
Middlesex, VT 05602
tel: 802- 223-4172; 802-522-3484 (cell)
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