Support Employee Free Choice

If you already know about the Employee Free Choice Act and support it click here to contact your congresspeople and ask them to support it.

So, I don’t post necessarily overt political things as blogs that often (ok, yes I do), but I don’t often ask you to take action, which maybe I should more often. Anyway. The Employee Free Choice Act is something that is close to me, for a variety of reasons. 1) I worked for the Service Employees International Union during the election helping defeat ludicrous anti-worker initiatives in Colorado and electing Barack Obama and, more importantly, 2) I am a low-wage retail worker who cannot afford the benefits “provided” by my employer, I do not get paid sick days, I live from paycheck to paycheck (sometimes less), and I wish there were a way for me to improve these things in my workplace. The fact is, speaking out about things in the workplace is dangerous for me, and whenever I do it, I run the risk of getting fired or punished by getting my hours cut, getting written up, or being treated poorly/ignored. If my co-workers and I were able to join a union and bargain with our management for better wages, benefits, and policies, we would all be happier in our jobs, and my workplace would benefit from happier employees who felt like they were valued.

Speaking out, or asking for better treatment is especially hard in an ecomony like ours because you know that many people would love to have your job and you don’t want to feel ungrateful that you have not been let go.

Of course, this is not to say I don’t enjoy my job. I absolutely love what I get to do every day even if it is tiring and sometimes stressful. But I think my work is worth more than my wage. I feel that I deserve good, affordable health care because of all the hard work I put in (and money I make for my bosses and the company. In fact, today, I had one individual sale that was over $600, which is a little less than what my paycheck for TWO WEEKS usually equals). I don’t think it’s weird to like your job and wish it could be improved at the same time. And I’m certain most of my fellow workers feel the same way as I do.

The Employee Free Choice Act, which was introduced in both the house and senate yesterday would make it easier for me and my co-workers, if we chose to, to form a union, and would make it less likely that we would get fired or “punished” for wanting one. It would allow our voices to be listened to, and allow us to assert that our work is worth a certain amount, which is a right that has slowly been eroded by selfish business interests who have the money to influence elected officials.

And already, these same interests are at it again, pouring millions of dolllars of money their workers earned for them into deceptive ads and lobbying against EFCA. They pretend like it will get rid of a secret ballot elections (which it won’t), or that it will force workers to join the union (which is illegal, and it won’t), and this just pisses me off.

Anyway, the link above talks a little about EFCA, and this link is SEIU’s “Five things you should know about employee free choice”. There’s also SEIU’s EFCA website, which explains a little bit more, and here’s the link (from there) to contact your congressperson and ask them to support EFCA. If you’re a working person, or someone who cares about me and my well-being who is better off, I encourage you to take action and ask your congresspeople to support EFCA so that workers are valued and make what they are worth.

Here’s a vid of Rachel Maddow talking about EFCA, to give y’all some perspective.

And, you know, pass it on.

The Juice Box