From the Economic Policy Institute (http://www.epi.org/):
Whether it’s the recently decided Supreme Court case, Janus v. AFSCME, or so-called “right-to-work” laws in dozens of states, workers’ freedom to join together to negotiate a fair wage and better working conditions is under attack.
But this month, voters in one state rejected new “right-to-work” legislation. Missouri residents struck down their legislature’s “right-to-work” law and stood up for working people’s right to unionize.
EPI research shows that strong unions improve the wages and working conditions of all working people―union and non-union alike. And that attacks on organized labor and the steady decline in unionization nationally has correlated with decades of flat wages.
Now, Congress has the chance to stand on the side of working people by strengthening our right to collectively bargain. The Workers’ Freedom to Negotiate Act (HR 6080/S 3064), introduced by Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.) would provide much-needed updates to federal labor laws to ensure workers in every state who want to join together can do so free from obstruction.
Stand with the EPI Policy Center and become a co-signer of the Workers’ Freedom to Negotiate Act today to strengthen unions and give more working people a fair first day on the job. Act Now at http://www.epipolicycenter.org/epipcwfna/.
This bill would streamline union elections, crack down on employers who illegally deter employees from unionizing, strengthen workers’ right to strike, prevent taxpayer dollars from supporting firms that violate workers’ rights, and, significantly, ban employers from forcing workers to sign class action waivers as a condition of employment.
An EPI report shows that between 1994 and today, the share of nonunion, private-sector employers who require their workers to sign forced arbitration agreements has increased from just 8 percent to 54 percent! That means that now, more than half of U.S. workers whose legal rights are violated by their employer are not able to pursue a claim in court.
The bill would also eliminate states’ so-called “right-to-work” laws, like the one that Missouri voters just rejected. These laws are designed to drain unions of resources and reduce union membership―resulting in lower wages and decreased access to health care and pensions. A recent EPI report shows that wages in “right-to-work” states are 3.1 percent lower than in states without these laws and that this attack on collective bargaining has weakened wages and access to benefits for union and non-union workers alike.
Thank you for all that you do to demand an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few.
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