Employee Free Choice Act Now

What’s the worth of an American’s work?

If you believe that America ought to resemble feudalistic serfdom—not very much.

But since the later part of the ninetieth century when workers began organizing with fellow workers during the industrial revolution, the social and economic value of work, its worth, has been acclaimed as a valuable commodity.

Yet many through history, including the contemporary GOP, persist in believing that America's labor is not worth all that much and have endlessly fought, often violently, against the attempts of Americans to organize to sell their labor product at a reasonable price.

As the late Sidney Lens, the great labor activist and historian, pointed out: Thousands of corpses and cracked skulls litter the battle to organize and sell American labor.

The pro-labor view, held in today's Democratic Party and organized labor, is that labor is sacred and ought to command a price sufficient to raise a family.

The right to organize to sell the American labor product was enshrined in the Wagner Act of 1935, singed into law by FDR.

Wrote FDR in his statement signing the Wagner Act:

This Act defines, as a part of our substantive law, the right of self-organization of employees in industry for the purpose of collective bargaining, and provides methods by which the Government can safeguard that legal right.

In the spirit of the Wagner Act, the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) now under consideration in Congress continues the legacy of the American labor movement, FDR and the belief that one's work is sacred.

Look for the Republicans to do their worst to stop it.

As the AFL-CIO points out, the Employee Free Choice Act would help workers join "together in a union to bargain for health care, pensions, fair wages and better working conditions is the best opportunity working people have to get ahead" in the face of corporate intimidation and a broken regulatory system.

It's really simple, the Employee Free Choice Act guarantees "that if a majority of workers wants a union, they can have one, allowing them to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation."

Now will come GOP and corporate lies to halt this needed labor reform.

As former Rep. Newt Gingrich says, “This bill is a mortal threat to American freedom and we will never forgive somebody who votes for cloture or for passage.”

Right, Newt. Read more corporate and rightwing fear mongering here.