Employee Free Choice Act

EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT -- (House of Representatives - March 01, 2007)

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Ms. CLARKE. Madam Chairman, the Employee Free Choice Act serves as a remedy to the squeeze on the middle class, due, in part, to the large scale erosion of workers fundamental freedom to bargain for better wages and benefits. Over the last several decades, workers' rights have come under increasing attacks. Even though workers in the United States under the National Labor Relations Act have the right to organize and collectively bargain, violations of these rights include the firing of employees for union activity.

In committee, Madam Chairman, we heard testimony of witnesses who spoke either in support for or against the bill on the House floor today. I find it difficult to understand how, in good conscience, Americans who, a generation before benefited from union activity, would be this opposition to this bill.

During organizing campaigns, 25 percent of employers illegally fire at least one worker for union activity.

The chance that a pro union worker activist is fired for his or her union activity today is now 1 in 5.

78 percent of employers in organizing drives forced employees to attend one-on-one meetings against a union with their own supervisors, and 92 percent of the employers forced employees to attend mandatory captive audience meetings against the union.

75 percent of the employers in organizing drives hire consultants or other union busting firms to fight the organizing drive.

The middle class squeeze has created a human rights crisis in this country. The Nation, the economy, and the employees benefit from the workers having the freedom to join together to bargain for better wages and benefits.

I wanted to just take a moment today because this piece of legislation will now bring justice to what has been a real injustice to the American people. I had the occasion to sit in on our committee hearings. Today I just wanted to bring to everyone's memory a gentleman named Mr. Ivo Camilo. He worked for the Blue Diamond Company for 35 years. He signed a letter with 58 coworkers saying that they wanted the right to organize and wanted that to be respected. A week later, Mr. Camilo was fired.

Today I cast my vote on behalf of Mr. Ivo Camilo, who sacrificed for each and every American the right to organize. He sacrificed his livelihood for all of us and for future generations. Thank you very much, Mr. Camilo.

And I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes' for this legislation.

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