The Employee Free Choice Act: Busting the Union Busters

Posted by Staff, American Rights at Work at 10:21 AM on September 2, 2008.

Editor's Note: This is a press release from American Rights at Work.



(Washington, DC) – Today American Rights at Work launched a national television ad campaign to educate the public on the critical issues facing America’s struggling middle class. The ads, which begin airing on Monday, Sept. 1, will build on the broad public support for the Employee Free Choice Act, a bipartisan bill in Congress that will help workers achieve the American Dream by giving them the freedom to choose a union.

American Rights at Work is releasing these ads in celebration of Labor Day as part of a huge, new coordinated effort among workers' rights advocates, progressives, and labor unions to champion this legislation, which passed the House last year and garnered majority support in the Senate. The effort includes paid advertising through national cable outlets and states throughout the country, including Oregon, Alaska, Louisiana, Mississippi, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Maine. The state-based ads will focus on educating the public on the positions’ of political leaders, and urging the public to call them to express their support for the legislation in the Senate. A script of the national ad appears below.

As workers’ paychecks shrink and healthcare costs skyrocket out of control, CEOs average $6,153 an hour and their overall salaries have soared to 180 times that of an average worker. The Employee Free Choice Act will help level the playing field for America’s workers by giving them a fair and direct path to form unions. It will also help employees secure a contract in a reasonable period of time and toughen penalties against employers who violate the law.

According to Mary Beth Maxwell, Executive Director of American Rights at Work, “When workers are free to choose to join a union, our economy can work for everyone again.” She continues, “In today’s economy, we need policies that give workers a fair shake. Our ads reinforce how the Employee Free Choice Act can restore the balance, giving men and women the freedom to form unions and get better health care, job security, and benefits – and an opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

The national ad campaign also comes out to set the record straight in response to anti-union, corporate-funded front groups stopping at nothing to mislead the American public about the Employee Free Choice Act. The corporate special interests that are against improving workers’ standard of living do not represent a majority of the public. A poll released last week by the nonpartisan Drum Major Institute found that 68 percent of middle class Americans wish their member of Congress had voted in favor of the bill.

“Despite the millions of dollars already spent to deceive voters on the Employee Free Choice Act, the American public isn’t buying it.” says Maxwell. “The reality is a majority of Americans want policies like the Employee Free Choice Act that will help restore the middle class. These ads will show viewers the truth about this common sense policy.”

To view the ad and for more information, visit www.FreeChoiceAct.org or www.americanrightsatwork.org.

Tagged as: union, employee free choice act