[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 37 (Monday, March 5, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. RAUL M. GRIJALVA

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 1, 2007

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 800) to 
     amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an 
     efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist 
     labor organizations, to provide for mandatory injunctions for 
     unfair labor practice during organizing efforts, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 800, 
the Employee Free Choice Act of 2007.
  This bill should be recognized for what it is: a major advance for 
human rights, the right ff of a worker to associate freely and to 
bargain collectively. The freedom to form a union is a human right 
recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 
internationally recognized standard of the most basic and fundamental 
freedoms to which all human beings are entitled. Article 23 of this 
document states: ``Everyone has the right to form and to join trade 
unions for the protection of his interests.''
  This Act restores and gives substance to the right to join a union. 
This right is a fundamental element of a healthy and vibrant economy. 
Further, reinforcing this right makes this prosperity accessible to 
working families and their communities.
  Workers who belong to unions earn 30 percent more than nonunion 
workers. They are 62 percent more likely to have employer-provided 
health coverage and four times more likely to have pensions. A December 
2006 research study conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates 
found that 60 million U.S. workers say they would join a union if they 
could. Workers know that a union job means respect on the job, and a 
better life for their families.
  Fair wages. Good benefits. Secure retirement. These are core elements 
necessary to build the American Dream, and this legislation is a vital 
step toward renewing that promise to the workers of this Nation--the 
men and women on the ground, in whose labor and industry we rely to 
make this dream a reality.
  The Employee Free Choice Act preserves the option for workers to 
choose to vote by secret ballot, and adds the option of choosing 
majority sign-up as their method of gaining recognition. This bill 
removes the de facto veto power employers currently exercise over the 
option of majority sign-up. The rights and prerogatives of workers will 
increase.
  The right to form a union in America was born in struggle, and has 
been under attack ever since. This bill ensures participatory democracy 
in the workplace and returns workers their rights. The power to 
organize is the most powerful tool available to workers. It empowers 
workers to have their voice heard.
  The working families of this Nation deserve recognition for the 
fruits of their labor. Through this legislation, today we empower 
American workers to raise their voice, to reclaim their rights, and 
introduce a vital measure of democracy to the American workplace.

                          ____________________