The Employee Free Choice Act is a major priority for working families and union members across the country. Its importance grows as the depth of our economic problems becomes clearer. We know that unless we level the playing field and give workers back the freedom to bargain, the middle class cannot be rebuilt. At this moment of economic crisis, we must restore workers’ freedom to bargain with their employers for better wages and benefits to help rebuild our economy.
The announcement by Sen. Specter – a sponsor of the original Employee Free Choice Act who voted for cloture in 2007 – is frankly a disappointment and a rebuke to working people, to his own constituents in Pennsylvania and working families around the country. He’s getting an earful from working people in his state. His office phone lines have been continuously down since he made his decision, and we will continue to talk to him.
Sen. Specter is one vote. We are in contact with other Republican senators as well. The Employee Free Choice Act will become law in 2009. The President, the Vice President and leaders in Congress have shown they are 100% behind the legislation. And 73% of the public supports the Employee Free Choice Act. We have more support than ever.
The Employee Free Choice Act will soon go to committee and the legislation will be considered by the Senate. As Sen. Reid and the leadership said this week, this fight is strong and we will win workers’ rights to bargain collectively for a better life.
We are escalating our grassroots campaign to make sure lawmakers know how critical this reform is to workers. That’s why the opposition is playing hardball. And that’s why we’re seeing business groups splinter from the hard line, as Starbucks, Costco and Whole Foods did with their alternative proposal this past weekend. Their proposal was totally unacceptable, but they showed that some segments of the business community understand that the public will not accept the status quo.
All across the country we are ramping up our field activities with events, phone calls, hand written letters, and faxes to Congress letting them know that workers desperately need the Employee Free Choice Act. This is a top priority for America’s workers. Our economy is reeling and working people are committed to restoring some balance and creating an economy that works for everyone.