Employee Free Choice Act

[hideyoursheep]

Any thoughts on this?

[FORD]

Anything that makes it easier for workers to organize and join/form unions with as little corporate interference as possible, is a good thing.

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[Blaze]

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We have petitions all the time to show what is the voice of the people. My sister last year (or the year before) had to get 200 signatures from her vicinity to challenge a law at a city level. Petitions are part of the American way of life.

[ZahZoo]

I can see good and bad sides of this...

For employees who could use some bargaining power with their employers it could assist with unionization and potentially provide benefits in the form of pay and job stability.

Down side is massive unionization will would probably have a negative impact on the economy. With current cost pressures off-shore it won't help to raise prices to try and protect American workers. Large portions of the money will just fill union coffers which won't help most workers in the long run.

Given current economic times... I don't think much forms of protectionism will be all that beneficial...

[hideyoursheep]

I can see good and bad sides of this...

For employees who could use some bargaining power with their employers it could assist with unionization and potentially provide benefits in the form of pay and job stability.

Down side is massive unionization will would probably have a negative impact on the economy. With current cost pressures off-shore it won't help to raise prices to try and protect American workers. Large portions of the money will just fill union coffers which won't help most workers in the long run.

Given current economic times... I don't think much forms of protectionism will be all that beneficial...

Vey good points, and I'm torn on the issue as it stands today. The EFCA does some good things, but also takes away some of the rights any individual company may want....I mean, if you don't get to vote on having a union to begin with, how does that particular work force dictate what is in it's contract to begin with?

On the other hand, it will put a stop to shit canning employees through the "card check" thing before the employees can get union representation off the ground.

The bill seems flawed in ways, but is a somewhat better option than what is in place now, which is not very "employee friendly".

[Big Train]

I guess I'm just not clear on what is so bad about the secret ballot?

[hideyoursheep]

I guess I'm just not clear on what is so bad about the secret ballot?

Huh? What secret ballot?

Right now, all a company has to do is run a card check before a secret ballot election, and those names on the card suddenly become unemployed. Strong arm tactics by management. It happens all the time.

[hideyoursheep]

I bet this bill scares Wal Mart And HomeDepot shitless...

[ZahZoo]

The bill seems flawed in ways, but is a somewhat better option than what is in place now, which is not very "employee friendly".

Interesting point... unionizing generally eliminates the "employee friendly" element in the work place. There's an instant polorization aspect between management and the work force.

Most places there's a good relationship at the employee and their immediate manager level. Both are more or less in the same boat. The disconnect occurs a couple steps up the ladder at usually a director or VP level. That's where staffing decisions, outsourcing and the crap that effects employees happens.

Once the shop goes union. That immediate manager is throw into hopper with the execs and then there's an instant wall erected.

Most companies are still "employee friendly" but only at a respect and personal level when dealing face to face. The shift today is most corporations are bottom-line focused and driven to shift business a lot more freely than the past.

I don't feel compassion has been lost among people... it's just the business climate is much different than just 5-10 years ago.