-Employee Free Choice Act to equalize bargaining power during union negotiations-

Washington, DC - The chair the Subcommittee on Workplace Protections, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), today strongly supported the House passage of H.R. 800, the Employee Free Choice Act, which passed the House this afternoon by a vote of 241 to 185.  Woolsey, who co-sponsored the legislation, took the floor during the debate to urge her colleagues to support the legislation:

“As a former human resources manager, I know what it takes to manage a happy, competitive, and productive workforce.  I know the difference paying a decent wage and having health and retirement benefits make in workers’ lives.

“Unfortunately, today workers are facing falling wages and fewer benefits, a fact that is directly leading to the disappearance of the middle class. So, what can we do to help?

“Union workers earn about 30% more than non-union workers per week; Union workers are almost twice as likely to have employer sponsored health benefits; And most union workers have defined pension plans compared to only 1 in 7 non-union workers.

“Looks to me like a prescription to make a weakened middle class healthy again! I urge my colleagues to support this bill and support American workers.”