WAOW - Newsline 9, Wausau News, Weather, SportsEmployee Free Choice Act debated

Employee Free Choice Act debated

by Meg Bonacorsi

STEVENS POINT (WAOW)-- An issue currently up for debate, a bill that would drastically change the way workers join unions.

The Employee Free Choice Act is a pending piece of federal legislation that's designed to make it easier for workers to join or form labor organizations.

But like many other bill's, this is a controversial one.

Sara Rogers, Executive Vice President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, says, "Right now the decision is completely in the company's hands and this allows the workers to have a say in how they want to form a union at their workplace."

If approved, the act would bypass the current system where private union votes are cast.

Rogers says, "If a majority of workers at a workplace decide that they want to form a union they would get together, sign a majority of the cards saying they were interested in having a union and go and talk to a union to represent them."

But some say the lack of privacy would be intimidating.

Roger Luce, Executive Director of the Wausau Region Chamber, says, "I would call it the employee forced act. You will have to sign a card and you'll sign that card in front of someone."

But Rogers says trying to form a union the way things are now, is worse.

Rogers says, "There is a lot of intimidation, there's threatening of closing plants, there are threats of job firings."

Luce says he's not anti-union, he just thinks this bill is poorly written.

Luce says, "There is no incentive in the language for labor unions to accelerate and work with me. In fact the penalties are only to the business on the opposite side."

Those penalties would come if an employer and union couldn't reach a contract agreement within 90 days of forming. Then the dispute goes to arbitration.

Luce says, "I don't know of any business that wants a government arbitrator in telling them 'this is what you must pay employees.'"

Supporters of the bill believe this is the best way to re-build the middle class by getting better wages, benefits, and retirement plans.

The opposition says it's a quick and easy way to increase union members and build up dwindling pension funds.

Rogers says she expects the Senate to vote on the bill within the next couple of weeks.

Online Reporter: Jill Courtney