America’s workers are struggling to make ends meet. Paychecks are shrinking and health care costs are skyrocketing while CEOs earn millions. The Employee Free Choice Act can restore the balance, giving more workers a chance to form unions and get better health care, job security, and benefits – and an opportunity to pursue their dreams. When workers are free to choose to join a union, our economy can work for everyone again.

By making it easier for women and men to join a union in their workplace, the Employee Free Choice Act will:

Help America’s working families improve their standard of living. Workers in unions earn 14% higher wages and are 28% more likely to have employer-provided health insurance, even when controlling for factors like education, occupation, and experience.¹

Fix a broken system that gives corporations far too much power. When workers try and organize unions, they are often harassed and intimidated; 34 percent of companies unlawfully fire pro-union workers.²

Restore fairness and the promise of the American Dream, with a robust middle class, economic growth, and shared prosperity.

In today’s economy, we need policies that give workers a fair shake. The Employee Free Choice Act will help bring back balance to our economy by ensuring that workers have a free choice and a fair chance to form a union. This legislation will:

1. Strengthen penalties against employers who break the law. Too many unscrupulous employers get away with breaking labor laws because the current penalties are too weak. The Employee Free Choice Act would increase penalties against employers who illegally fire or retaliate against pro-union workers during an organizing campaign or an effort to obtain a first contract.
2. Allow employers or employees to request mediation if they’re unable to negotiate a first contract. Under current law, anti-union employers often drag workers through lengthy negotiations by delaying bargaining sessions, withholding relevant information, and putting forth bogus proposals. Even though these tactics are illegal, there are no effective deterrents to prevent “surface bargaining.” The Employee Free Choice Act will strengthen workers’ ability to achieve a first contract within a reasonable period of time.
3. Give workers the right to form a union through “majority sign-up.” Majority sign-up is an efficient, fair and democratic union organizing process where the NLRB certifies a union when a majority of employees sign written union authorization forms. Majority sign-up is permitted under the existing law, but only through the voluntary agreement of an employer. Currently, an employer can insist on an NLRB election, and refuse to recognize a union even when 100 percent of employees have signed authorization cards. The bill would allow employees, and not employers, to choose either the NLRB election process or a majority sign-up process in order to form a union.