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Right to Join a Union

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Tens of thousands of working people are fired for trying to join unions and reach the middle-class. Ensuring the right of all workers to join a union if they choose is a key part of rebuilding America’s middle class.

National Labor Relations Board Makes It Harder Than Ever To Join Unions

The National Labor Relations Act was intended to protect the freedom to join a union. However, rules issued during the Bush administration turn the original intentions of the Labor Relations Act on its head.

Rules changed during the Bush Administration:

  • Make it harder to join a union, easier to get rid of unions
  • Make it harder for fired workers to get backpay
  • Make it easier for employers to intimidate workers who wish to join unions

How the Employee Free Choice Act Would Help

  • Would make it easier for workers to choose to join a union
  • Strengthen the penalties for employers that violate the law
  • Helps employees secure a contract with an employer in a reasonable period of time

Resources

Report on the National Labor Relations Board. American Rights at Work.

What is the Employee Free Choice Act? AFL-CIO.

Undermining the Right to Organize: Employer Behavior During Union Representation Campaigns. Center for Urban Economic Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, and American Rights at Work.