[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 4795-4796]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  NEW HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS FIGHTS FOR THE RIGHTS OF MIDDLE-CLASS 
                                FAMILIES

  (Mr. HODES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HODES. Mr. Speaker, when Democrats gained the majority in this

[[Page 4796]]

House last November, we pledged to fight to make America better for all 
Americans, not just the privileged few. This Congress has already 
passed legislation increasing the minimum wage and making college more 
affordable to middle-class families.
  This week, in a bipartisan fashion, we will continue our work on 
behalf of middle-class families by bringing legislation to the floor 
that would restore workers' rights to form unions and to collectively 
bargain for better salaries and better benefits.
  At a time when corporate executives are routinely negotiating lavish 
pay and retirement benefits for themselves, workers have little 
leverage to negotiate for a better life. This has been particularly 
concerning over the last 6 years when wages have remained stagnant 
while everyday costs like housing, transportation, education and health 
care have increased dramatically.
  The Employee Free Choice Act says that if the majority of workers at 
a workplace sign cards saying they want a union, they get a union. The 
act protects the rights of employers, too. The legislation shares 
bipartisan support and is supported by an overwhelming majority of 
Americans. Let's pass it this week.

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