USW Weighs in on Failed Legislation

(Akron/Tire Review) As expected, the United Steelworkers voiced its disappointment that the U.S. Senate pushed aside a major change to the National Labor Relations Act – the so-called Employee Free Choice Act – that would have made it considerably easier for workers to form labor unions at any sized employer.

At the same time, USW President Leo Gerard said that while the bill will not likely be passed by Congress or signed by President Bush, “the promise of the bill’s passage by a new administration is well within reach.”

Last week, the Senate voted 51-48 to move the bill forward, falling short of the 60 votes needed to proceed to a final vote.

“The support for Employee Free Choice by the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate offers real hope that soon workers will once again have a voice in deciding how they choose to organize as a union without being intimidated by their employer,” Gerard said.

“The unanimous support by the Senate Democrats points the way toward overcoming the obstruction by big business and the Republicans who seek to deny American workers their basic right to have a greater say in their lives through collective bargaining.”