Forbes is running a piece today called "Fears Of A Union Renaissance." In the article they menion that the US Chamber of Commerce is fearful of a potential union resurgence in the United States.

The article says, "Now the group, which represents business interests, is opposing a laundry list of bills fluttering about Capitol Hill, which the chamber says would make it easier to organize a union, expand worker benefits at the expense of employers and lift the caps on punitive damages sought by employees in lawsuits."

They are referring to the Employee Free Choice Act.

Many of us here at Union Review know that the Employee Free Choice Act will truly level the playing field for working people wishing to join a union. I am not so sure that the folks reading Forbes really understand what the Employee Free Choice Act will do for us.

I took a few minutes to write a comment at the article (which I will paste below), and I ask you to take a few minutes to do the same. We don't always have the opportunity to get heard by Forbes' readers.

The Comment I left:

 

UnionReview:
Here is some additional reporting that might have been cut at the editing desk:

In spite of record profits, corporations and their high-end CEOs often treat employees unfairly – cutting back hours, health benefits, and raises. And when workers try and form unions to improve their lives, they’re often met with harassment and resistance from these companies. In fact, 25 percent of employers faced with organizing effort fire workers for their support of a union.

With the advent of John McCain potentially bringing the United States McSame policies, let’s think about what working people endured under Bush: Since W took office, it is a matter of fact that working people are working harder for less – and some 2 million more of us working people are out of work. About 11 million more working people lack health care insurance. We have had a slow wage growth, skyrocketing costs for gasoline and health insurances, and this publication knows … we have endured four straight months of job losses (or is that five now?)

It is a known fact that if a worker could easily join a union, they would. It is known that it is easier to join the Marines and the Republican Party than it is to join a union. Independent studies show that when workers try to form a union, corporations regularly run intimidating anti-union campaigns, including mandatory one-on-one meetings between supervisors and employees. (Take a poke a Wal-Mart’s wonderful worker history to learn more about those).

In the end, what CEO of any corporation would ever take his or her job without having a written contract that stipulates what they get, when they get it, and how they get it? Isn’t it just a bit of a double standard to say it is cool for a CEO to work this way but not a truck driver, bus driver, or any other trades person?