NAACP Reiterates its Support for the Swift Enactment of the “Employee Free Choice” ACT

WHEREAS, there can be no doubt that unions have improved, and continue to benefit, the lives of American workers. Currently, union workers earn 26% more in median weekly wages than non-union workers; unionized women earn 31% more than their non- union counterparts, and Black union workers earn 29% more than non-union African- Americans. Furthermore, 75% of union workers have health benefits, compared to 49% of non-union workers. 69% of union workers have short-term disability coverage, compared to 30% of their non-union counterparts. Finally, 82% of union workers get life insurance, compared with 51% of non-union workers; and

WHEREAS, the impact of unions – ensuring that all working Americans are treated fairly and share in the prosperity – cannot be overstated; and

WHEREAS, despite the continuing strength and advocacy power of unions, however, some employers continue to treat workers poorly, not paying them a fair wage or providing them with necessary benefits: the purchasing power of workers' wages is 5% below where it stood 30 years ago; and

WHEREAS, CEO pay has continued to rise and is currently more than 1,000 times the earnings of the average worker; the richest 13,000 US families have nearly as much income as the poorest 200 million combined; and

WHEREAS, some employers continue to fight the legitimate organization of unions: 70% of American employers in manufacturing threaten to close the plant if workers choose a union; and

WHEREAS, in the 1950's, when 30% of workers belonged to unions, only a few hundred workers suffered retaliation for trying to organize a union; in 1969, the number of workers suffering retaliation was just over 6,000 and by the 1990's more than 20,000 workers each year were victims of discrimination when they tried to organize a union; and

WHEREAS, the Employee Free Choice Act (S. 560 introduced by Senator Reid, NV and H.R. 1409, introduced by Congressman George Miller, CA) will make sure workers have a fair chance to exercise their democratic right to choose a union by making it easier for a union to act as a mediator for workers if the majority of workers have provided authorized signatures indicating that they want the union to act as their representative; and

WHEREAS, the Employee Free Choice Act simply lets the workers decide – not the corporation – whether to form their union through a majority sign up or an election; and

WHEREAS, under the Employee Free Choice Act workers can still have an election if they want one including a secret ballot election: instead of their company controlling how workers organize, workers will have the choice of which path to use.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP strongly supports the Employee Free Choice Act and encourages the Congress and the President to work for its speedy enactment.