Chicago Workers Rally for Card Check

At an after-work rally at the Plumbers Union Hall on Chicago's West side yesterday, union leaders, members and community allies gathered to press the case for the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill before Congress that would amend the National Labor Relations Act to allow workers to form a union by signing membership cards or a petition in lieu of a secret-ballot election. Supporters say that it takes the threat of coercion, punishment and even termination out of the unionization process, making organizing easier. But opponents say that the bill robs workers of the right to a secret ballot when choosing whether to join a union.

Among the speakers featured were Congressman Danny Davis, who told supporters that “Now we have an opportunity, especially in the Senate, to make sure that any individual, any person, has the freedom and the right to become part of a union." Speaking from experience, Jose Hill, who works at Comcast, told Medill that, "Comcast bargaining tactics are to delay bargaining and punish union employees who perform the same work."

Under the current labor laws, it can take the National Labor Relations Board over a month to hold a union representation election after workers have filed a petition. In that time, employers are able to require employees to attend anti-union rallies at work, and endure one-on-one interrogations with management. Jim Nelson of the Illinois Manufacturers Association warned that such a bill will "disrupt the good relations that employers already have with their workers." And Comcast spokesman Rich Ruggiero said that "employees could lose the freedom to vote in a secret ballot election and lose the right to determine the terms and conditions of their employment at the bargaining table." A vote in the Senate will determine the outcome of the bill, and President Obama has said he'll sign it if it passes.

Photo by JoeM500