America's middle class wants to grow.  That's the message from a new nationwide poll that shows a clear majority of the middle class supports the Employee Free Choice Act.

Overall, 68% of middle-class adults would have liked their representative in the U.S. House to vote for the bill.  Specifically, 80% of Democrats, 60% of Republicans, and 59% of Independents polled were in favor of their representatives voting for the bill.

American Rights at Work Executive Director Mary Beth Maxwell put the poll in perspective:

"This new poll reinforces that a clear majority of Americans - be they Democrats, Independents, or Republicans - want policies like the Employee Free Choice Act that will help working families struggling in this economy. [...] Momentum for the Employee Free Choice Act is real and while anti-union corporations and their front groups are spending millions to mislead the public, Americans aren't buying it."

It shouldn't be any mystery why the middle class supports the Employee Free Choice Act.  The bill would help level the playing field to give workers the freedom to choose to join a union, so they can earn better wages and benefits and have greater opportunity towards achieving the American Dream.

The Nation’s Chris Hayes was spot on this week in talking about Wal-Mart’s attempt to tell workers how to vote: Wal-Mart’s actions demonstrate how urgently workers need the Employee Free Choice Act. 

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is mobilizing its store managers and department supervisors around the country to warn that if Democrats win power in November, they'll likely change federal law to make it easier for workers to unionize companies -- including Wal-Mart.

The earnings gap between the wealthy and the middle-class is wider than it’s been since 1928.¹

Wages are worse than they were in 1970.²

Does that seem okay to you?

Me neither. We need to get the middle class moving. And one of the best ways to boost our economy is to allow more workers to join unions.

Click here to jumpstart the American Dream - chip in to help pass the Employee Free Choice Act.

American Rights at Work is waging an aggressive effort to educate the public in local campaigns, train community leaders to become advocates for our cause, mobilize state networks to support the Employee Free Choice Act and speak out in the media in support of this bill.

We need to mobilize now, but it can't be done without your help. Our fundraising deadline is this Monday.

• $25 provides materials to train local leaders to become spokespeople for the Employee Free Choice Act.
• $50 can sponsor an ad on a local website in one of our target states.
• $100 helps launch our big YouTube video campaign, led by an Emmy-nominated film producer.
• $250 will help fund message research and build our rapid-response network, so we can fight back when anti-worker groups run misleading ads.

Donate now and help us raise $10,000 by Monday >>

Can you imagine a CEO agreeing to work without a contract guaranteeing pay and benefits?

It would never happen. But when employers prevent a union from forming, that's exactly what they're making employees do: work without a contract.

All workers - not just CEOs - deserve fair wages, decent benefits, and safe working conditions - but without a contract, many will never get them. That's why we need the Employee Free Choice Act.

The One Million Strong campaign is picking up speed. More than 300,000 people have already signed our petition, but we can’t reach one million without you.

Passing the Employee Free Choice Act will make it easier for millions of workers to negotiate a contract and have a good union job.

Why is that so important? Unions have always been the bedrock of America’s middle class. With hardworking families feeling the squeeze from economic policies that bail out billionaires but abandon workers, it’s time to level the playing field.

» Sign the Petition

We caught up with Amber Lee Ettinger—aka "Obama Girl"—last week, and asked for her thoughts on the Employee Free Choice Act.  Check out this video we made:

Sign the petition for the Employee Free Choice Act if you haven't yet.

This video shows what the Employee Free Choice Act is all about.  Originally produced for SEIU at their international convention last month, this 8-minute movie explains what the Employee Free Choice Act is, why we need it, and who it'd help.  If you've got eight minutes, sit back, press play, and pass on this video to friends and family.

Who’s losing out in this sputtering economy?

Not corporate CEOs. Too many of them have made sure to secure a golden parachute for themselves while workers face soaring healthcare costs, foreclosures, and an uncertain future.

The Employee Free Choice Act would help level the playing field and get our economy back on track. That's why last week we launched a huge campaign to get one million people to support this bill and tell Congress it’s time for change.

We're already at 20,695 signatures and we think we can reach 30,000 by Monday! We need you to be one of them. 

If you've already signed the petition, can you tell 10 friends about our campaign?

A robust middle class. Economic growth and shared prosperity. The American Dream. None are possible without good union jobs that protect workers.

That's why we need the Employee Free Choice Act - critical legislation that would give more workers a way to form unions and negotiate for better wages, health care, and working conditions. American Rights at Work is teaming up with hundreds of groups and unions to launch a massive campaign: One Million Strong for the Employee Free Choice Act.

We're going to show the new President and Congress that there are one million people who want to give hardworking families a chance to get ahead.

Why is this bill so important? It's plain as day: workers are struggling in this country.