The Employee Free Choice Act

 The Employee Free Choice Act

Rebecca Parker

Ottawa University

This paper is about the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). I feel this topic is important because the Employee Free Choice Act provides a fair and less detrimental way for employees to form unions while making it far more difficult for employers to interfere in the process. The purpose of the Free Choice Act is to ensure that employees have access to form unions. Currently, employers can choose to accept the signed decision of the majority of workers, but they are not required to by law. This act will protect employees’ rights to form unions and will make it tougher for employers to threaten those wanting to form a union (Madland, & Walter, 2009). When organizing a union, there are 5 basic steps. They are to build an organizing committee, getting employees to sign union cards, holding an NLRB hearing, holding an election, and negotiate a contract (Fulmer, 1981). The significance of organizing a union is that workers have the right to negotiate with their employers over terms and conditions of employment (National Labor Relations Board, 2017). I believe that having the right to organize a union within one’s workplace is very important especially in the world today with the economy the way it is.

Introduction

        The Employee Free Choice Act is a reform to protect employees’ right to join in unions and make it tougher for employers to threaten employees seeking to organize a union. Under the current law, management can refuse to organize a union even when 100 percent of employees have signed union authorization cards (Ortega, & Johansson, 2008). The drive of the Employee Free Choice Act is to reestablish balance to the union election process by permitting labors the choice to organize a union through a simple majority sign up process (Madland, & Walter, 2009). To organize a union, one needs to determine interest, set up an organizing committee, build interest, the campaign goes public, hold an NLRB hearing, launch the campaign, hold an election, examine the results, and if the union wins, then they prepare to negotiate their first contract (Fulmer, 1981). A union is usually formed to negotiate with one’s employer over terms and conditions of employment (Your rights). The Employee Free Choice Act provides a fair and less damaging way for employees to form unions while making it far more difficult for employers to interfere in the process.

Why would you want to form a Union?

        Employees that feel that improvements need to be made in their workplace can form a union. When employees join a union, they can solve problems more effectively as a group. Through forming unions and negotiating a contract employees can secure the things that they like about their jobs. There are many benefits to forming a union. Unions negotiate with the employers to raise wages and get benefits for their members. Unions also provide a balance on CEO greed (Madland, & Walter, 2009). Unions give employees a bigger voice in the workplace. The Employee Free Choice Act is needed because many companies focus a lot of time and money on fighting union organizing drives (Madland & Walter, 2009). With the Employee Free Choice Act one side will not hold all the power.