Unions

Employee Free Choice Act of 2009

hmoroz — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:37:22 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

Labor Relations First Contract Negotiations Act of 2009

hmoroz — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:12:46 -0500

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

Senate Version of the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act of 2008

hmoroz — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:47:37 -0500

Legislation

The middle class

Supports

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Estimated jobs lost if General Motors alone collapsed: 914,000

Estimated jobs lost if the U.S. motor-vehicle assembly complex collapsed: 3.3 million

Increase in the number of unemployed persons since the beginning of the recession in December 2007: 2.7 million

Minimum percentage increase in the unemployment rate in the 10 states hit hardest by a total motor-vehicle assembly shutdown: 2.8

Three-year government tax loss if all of Detroit’s operations ceased, in dollars: 156.4 billion

Number of states that would experience job losses of at least 1,000 if General Motors alone collapsed: 50

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

The Middle Class Supports.
The automobile industry is a critical component of the American economy. Motor vehicle and parts industries employed over 700,000 people directly as of September and each job in the auto industry supports about 1.7 additional jobs in industries as diverse as textiles and retail. Auto industry workers with solid wages create jobs in their local economies with their spending. More importantly, the jobs in and supported by the auto industry are solid middle-class jobs that tend to provide health insurance and employment stability. At a time of economic recession when job losses are already steep, the middle class cannot afford to lose hundreds of thousands of well paying jobs.

Indeed, a failure of one or, significantly worse, of all three American automakers would seriously harm the middle class. The Economic Policy Institute predicts that over 900,000 jobs would disappear if GM collapsed, while a worst-case-scenario shutdown of the entire U.S. auto industry would eliminate 3.3 million jobs. Though this scenario is worst case and some jobs would eventually reappear as the industry reconstituted itself, the short-term damage to the American middle class would be severe. Unemployment would rise several percentage points in the hardest hit states and every state would experience job losses. Increased unemployment benefit payments, significant tax revenue losses, and government assumption of pension obligations are all additional outcomes that could result from an automaker’s failure.

The legislation will prevent the short-term failure of the automobile industry in the United States and makes a leaner, more energy-efficient Detroit plausible. An auto czar cannot make the Big Three automakers profitable. But the czar’s influence – backed up by the capacity to speed loan repayment and impose bankruptcy – and the thorough restructuring guidelines laid out by Congress can ensure that the American automakers do not once again fail to confront environmental concerns and recalcitrant management. Most experts agree that bankruptcy in the current liquidity crisis would be devastating to the auto manufacturers: already weak sales would be exacerbated by consumers frightened to buy from a bankrupt manufacturer, while lending institutions normally accessible to bankrupt companies would be unavailable. The Auto Industry Refinancing and Restructuring Act imposes reasonable restructuring requirements, while ensuring that solid middle-class jobs are preserved in a period of deep economic crisis.

The Senate version’s addition of heavy-handed requirements for reduction of labor costs is unjustified and even reckless. We fear that the inclusion of such requirements is no more than an attempt by conservatives to blame management’s poor judgment on middle-class workers making decent wages and earning decent benefits. Further, imposing such requirements prior to restructuring limits what negotiations between a car czar, the UAW, and the automakers can accomplish. While they bemoan business decisions being made in Washington, some conservatives evidently are confident enough in their business savvy to decide the appropriate level of autoworkers’ wages. Still, preservation of millions of jobs in the auto industry makes support for the Auto Industry Refinancing and Restructuring Act absolutely necessary.

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

“When Giants Fall,” from the Economic Policy Institute

“Better Than A Bailout,” from The New Republic

“Panic in Detroit,” from The New Republic

Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act of 2008

hmoroz — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:44:49 -0500

Legislation

The middle class

Supports

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Estimated jobs lost if General Motors alone collapsed: 914,000

Estimated jobs lost if the U.S. motor-vehicle assembly complex collapsed: 3.3 million

Increase in the number of unemployed persons since the beginning of the recession in December 2007: 2.7 million

Minimum percentage increase in the unemployment rate in the 10 states hit hardest by a total motor-vehicle assembly shutdown: 2.8

Three-year government tax loss if all of Detroit’s operations ceased, in dollars: 156.4 billion

Number of states that would experience job losses of at least 1,000 if General Motors alone collapsed: 50

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

“When Giants Fall,” from the Economic Policy Institute

“Better Than A Bailout,” from The New Republic

“Panic in Detroit,” from The New Republic

Employee Free Choice Act of 2007

atraub — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:28:45 -0400

Legislation

The middle class

Supports

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Percentage of petitions filed with the NLRB in which the majority of workers indicated they wanted a union before the process began: 91

Percentage of these campaigns where the employees actually gained union representation: 31

Chance that an active union supporter will be illegally fired for union activity during an organizing campaign: 1 in 5

Percentage of employers that force employees to attend mandatory anti-union meetings during a union organizing drive: 92

Percentage of companies that threaten to close the worksite if the union wins the election: 51

Percentage of companies that actually do close after a successful union election: 1

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

The Middle Class Supports.Unions were instrumental in creating the American middle class as we know it, and today they continue to empower millions of Americans to bargain for wages and benefits that are capable of sustaining a middle-class standard of living. Union jobs are significantly more likely to offer dignified wages; sick, family, and vacation leave policies; health care; and retirement plans. In areas where unions represent a high proportion of workers in a particular industry, they can even help to raise industry standards across-the-board, improving wages and job quality even for workers who don't belong.

Yet the system meant to protect the rights of employees to join unions no longer functions. Sluggish and weak enforcement of labor rights permits employers to routinely break the law, harassing and intimidating employees who try to organize. Illegal bribes, threats, and even the firing of union organizers are commonplace. Employees who dare to stand up for their right to join a union can face years of unemployment when they are illegally fired, while employers face virtually no penalty for denying their employees’ basic legal rights. By strengthening penalties and replacing the easily abused mechanism of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) elections with a streamlined employee sign-up procedure, the Employee Free Choice Act would restore Americans’ ability to choose union representation. In every workplace where a majority of employees want union representation, they could join easily, and begin to bargain for the pay and benefits that would enable them to enter the middle class.

Quotes from Experts

Beyond this Bill

Additional Resources

The AFL-CIO on the Employee Free Choice Act

American Rights at Work on the Employee Free Choice Act

“The Employee Free Choice Act: Impact on Health Care and Pension Benefits,” by Alex Carter and Eric Lotke from the Campaign for America’s Future

Unions

Employee Free Choice Act of 2009

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

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Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Labor Relations First Contract Negotiations Act of 2009

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Senate Version of the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act of 2008

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act of 2008

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources

Employee Free Choice Act of 2007

Legislation

The middle class

Video Summary

Injustice Facts

Overview/Summary

Middle Class Position Analysis

Related Blog: Header

Quotes from Experts

Related Blog: Text

Beyond this Bill

Related Blog: Link

Additional Resources