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House Passes Employee Free Choice Act3/1/07 After more than five hours of historic debate, the House of Representatives passed the most important labor law reform legislation in 70 years. By a margin of 241–185, the House passed the Employee Free Choice Act, H.R. 800, which would level the playing field when workers seek to form a union and bargain. Thirteen Republicans joined 228 Democrats in voting for the bill. Two Democrats and 183 Republicans voted against the bill.
In a last-minute, desperate effort to delay passage of the bill, Republicans tried to get the bill recommitted or sent back to committee. Republicans wanted to add a provision that only U.S. citizens be allowed to sign union authorization cards. The House rejected the recommitment by a margin of 225–202. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) lashed out at the Republicans, calling the recommitment ploy a cynical act. He pointed out that under the current law it’s up to employers to ensure that all their workers are documented. The Employee Free Choice Act has strong bipartisan support. Introduced by Miller, the bill has 233 co-sponsors. Democrats made it clear that the purpose of the bill was not pro-union or pro-business, but pro-worker. Click here to see videos of some of the speeches on the House floor during the debate. Pelosi, who had been on the House floor all day, returned to the Speaker’s chair to announce the vote tally. Working families made this bill a key priority. AFL-CIO affiliated unions sent more than 5 million e-mails messages to online activists on Employee Free Choice Act. During a week of action, workers in more than 100 cities met with members of Congress and community leaders to push for passage of the act. Actions included conferences, worker roundtables, rallies and other gatherings, with workers and union and community leaders meeting with at least 130 members of Congress. Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800). The legislation would give workers greater freedom to make their own decisions about joining a union to bargain for a better life by:
Bill Lawhorn Tells His Story2/6/07The Consolidated Biscuit Company (CBC) promised Bill Lawhorn that he would be fired if the workers’ campaign to join the BCTGM failed. The day after the election, Bill was fired. He was escorted out of the plant by three security guards and met by local police notified by the company. That was 2002. Since then, various levels of the labor Board have held the company fired Bill because of his union activity, which is illegal. It’s 2007. But Bill has not been reinstated, nor seen one cent of back pay. Today, Bill Lawhorn told his story about getting fired from CBC because of his support for the BCTGM at a press conference on Capitol Hill to introduce the Employee Free Choice Act. Five years ago, Lawhorn joined with his co-workers to form a union at Consolidated Biscuit Co. (CBC) in McComb, Ohio. Lawhorn was fired after he spoke in favor of the union. Even though 650 of 875 employees—an overwhelming majority— signed cards saying they wanted a union, CBC responded with threats, harassment and intimidation, forcing workers to attend meetings where they slammed the union. The very next day after the union vote in 2002, Lawhorn was fired. Even though the NLRB has ruled he was illegally fired and has ordered CBC to rehire him with back pay, Lawhorn still is unemployed. But he is determined to keep supporting the union and his co-workers’ freedom to decide for themselves about a union.
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