Employee Free Choice Act

Floor Speech

EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT -- (House of Representatives - March 01, 2007)

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Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, let's not forget that it was with the help of organized, unionized workers that we acquired the 40-hour work week, that we instilled child labor laws, that we have paid leave, that we have pensions, and that we have health care.

Madam Speaker, in a world where loyalty to workers is becoming an endangered species, the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act helps to level the playing field between industry and workers, and it will give workers a fair chance to organize and fight invidious outsourcing. Our jobs are being taken overseas. We need to have workers on the ground in a position to fight this. It will give workers an opportunity to preserve health benefits and an opportunity to protect pensions.

Workers are the first line of defense when it comes to protecting the standard of living that we have in this country. We must level the playing field and pass the Employee Free Choice Act. I encourage all of my colleagues to do so.

Madam Speaker, I stand here today in support of giving our working men and women a fair chance and a free choice to form a union. As one of 234 cosponsors of this legislation I can confidently tell the men and women who literally make this country run that you are not alone in your fight for higher wages, improved benefits, and better working conditions. I can confidently tell you that we understand that the right to unionize is the right to pursue the American dream.

It is as a result of unions that we can enjoy weekends with our families. It is as a result of unions that we can benefit from basic health and safety protections. It is as a result of unions that we can take advantage of family and medical leave.

Unfortunately, under the current labor law system, employers often use a combination of legal and illegal methods to silence employees who try to form unions. The law says that employers cannot intimidate, coerce, or fire employees for attempting to exercise their democratic rights.

Yet, in reality: Every 23 minutes a worker is illegally fired or discriminated against for their support of a union. 34 percent of employers coerce workers into opposing unions with bribes or special favors. 51 percent of employers illegally threaten to close down worksites if employees vote for union representation. 75 percent of employers hire anti-union consultants to help kill union organizing drives. 91 percent of employers force workers to attend intimidating one-on-one anti-union meetings with their supervisors.

Madam Speaker, some people say that liars figure and figures lie, but I want the American people to hear these figures and decide for themselves whether they believe that American workers should have the right to unionize:

Workers who belong to unions earn 30 percent more than non-union workers. Workers who belong to unions are 63 percent more likely to have employer-provided health care than non-union workers. Workers who belong to unions are 77 percent more likely to have jobs that provide short-term disability benefits than non-union workers. Workers who belong to unions are nearly 400 percent more likely to have guaranteed pensions than non-union workers.

This discrepancy is even more pronounced among women, African Americans, and Latinos:

Women in unions earn $9,300 more a year (31%) than their non-union counterparts. African Americans in unions earn $9,700 more a year (36%) than their non-union counterparts. Latinos in unions earn $11,300 more a year (46%) than their non-union counterparts.

It is astonishing that some would try to prevent some of the hardest working Americans the right to organize at a time when:

The average CEO in the United States makes more than 260 times the pay of the average worker. A CEO earns more in one day than an average worker earns in one year.

We have seen an increase in:

The number of people who are classified as poor (from 32 million in 2000 to 37 million in 2004). The number of low-income households paying more than half their income on housing (from 9.4 million to 11.6 million). The number of Americans who lack health insurance (from 40 million in 2000 to 46 million).

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to hear the voices of our 60 million working brothers and sisters: Who say they want a voice at their workplace, Who say they want a choice at their workplace, Who say they want unions.

I urge my colleagues to join the distinguished Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, GEORGE MILLER, and vote ``yes'' on the Employee Free Choice Act.

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