National Nurses United

NewsBriefs:2 4/24/08 1:19 AM Page 8 NewsBriefs WHY WE NEED THE EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT NOW espite some 60 million American workers expressing interest in unionizing, union membership has been declining over the past several decades. Why? Employers are waging increasingly vicious campaigns against workers and union officials who attempt to organize for better working conditions. The lag between gathering enough cards to file for an election and the election itself creates weeks in which professional "union busters" can infiltrate a workplace, intimidating, misleading, and harassing workers into voting against unionization. If you think your employer wouldn't do that to you, think again: 91 percent of employers force employees D to attend compulsory anti-union meetings. New federal legislation can change that. The Employee Free Choice Act would make it possible to elect a union by simply collecting signed union cards from the majority of workers. EFCA will provide a democratic, easy, and expedient way to guarantee union representation without giving management the lead time necessary to coordinate an attack on your workers' rights. The Employee Free Choice Act can improve the union election process by creating an environment free from fear, intimidation, and misinformation. It allows workers to choose their union quickly and by majority, so that they can enjoy professional protec- tions sooner. In addition to streamlining the election process, EFCA provides harsher penalties for employers who commit unfair labor practices during elections and contract negotiations. EFCA also guarantees faster and more satisfactory first contracts by providing mediation and arbitration for contracts not settled within 90 days. EFCA has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is awaiting discussion in the U.S. Senate. Contact your senator today and ask him or her to support the Employee Free Choice Act of 2007. Sign the Million Worker Mobilization pledge. Ask your labor rep for a card and check our website, calnurses.org/efca for more info. Read what these nurses have to say about how EFCA can provide a safe, fair, and democratic way to organize without harassment or intimidation from hired union busters: bedside. During all of those 26 years, I have always raised issues of unsafe staffing and inadequate benefits without getting anywhere. EFCA is the perfect opportunity to make my dreams for nursing come true. vote to empower nurses to improve both their situations and those of their patients, which go hand-in-hand. I couldn't believe that we were living in America in the 21st century; the mistruths and level of intimidation were so extreme. With the money and power behind the hospitals, EFCA is the only way a free and fair decision can be achieved. Eva Buenconsejo, RN Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA I firmly believe that my colleagues and I would enjoy union membership if it weren't for our employer's vicious and unethical campaign against the union. EFCA would have made a fair, democratic election possible for all nurses by allowing them to elect the union privately and free of harassment. No one should ever again have to endure the union-busting campaigns that we did. Joanne Thompson, RN West Houston Medical Center (HCA), Houston, TX All nurses deserve a contract that spells out our benefits and our rights. EFCA is one way to give us a legitimate voice in our workplace. I've been a nurse for 26 years, both as management and at the 8 REGISTERED NURSE DeAnn McEwen, RN Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Long Beach, CA We endured a vicious, underhanded unionbusting campaign. They exploited racial and gender divides among the nurses and called the union representatives derogatory slurs. As nurses, we're intelligent and educated people. In treating patients, we gather data, assess the facts, and act accordingly. We don't need persuasion. That's what we do every day as nurses, and that's how we should be allowed to choose a union. With EFCA, we have the power to make that choice. Mary Sharber, RN Flagstaff Medical Center, Flagstaff, AZ Our managers were led to believe a pro-union vote was a result and criticism of their management, rather than a W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G Linda Desjardins, RN Formerly of Aroostook Medical Center, Presque Isle, ME When our department head of over 20 years was terminated for remaining objective towards the organizing efforts, all of the nurses thought,"If she can lose her job, so can I." Hospitals can and will fire nurses for organizing, even if it's illegal. EFCA would provide security for nurses who are looking to organize. The quicker you can expedite bringing in the union, the safer your job will be, and the faster you can make improvements to your working conditions. APRIL 2008

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