Rep. Ellison (D-Minn) Shows How to Support Employee Free Choice

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/01/08/rep-ellison-shows-how-to-support-employee-free-choice/

by Seth Michaels, Jan 8, 2009

As the new Congress kicks off its first week and we prepare for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, now is the time for political leaders to speak out for the freedom of workers to form unions and bargain for a better life.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) is a great example of how a political leader can educate the public and fight for workers as we work to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.

Ellison and other pro-worker members of Congress have come under fire from deep-pocketed Big Business lobbyists and corporate front groups that are expending millions on disinformation and false attack ads to scare voters and elected officials alike. But Ellison, an Employee Free Choice Act co-sponsor, doesn’t scare so easily.

In the final weeks of his first re-election campaign, Ellison dedicated a radio ad not on his own behalf, but in strong support of the Employee Free Choice Act for workers who need the freedom to bargain. In this ad, as he’s done frequently in recent months, Ellison cut through the corporate rhetoric and spin to explain why the Employee Free Choice Act matters to working families and the economy. You can listen to the ad here.

Here’s Ellison’s argument:

You’ve probably seen those attack ads claiming some candidates want to take away your right to a secret ballot in union elections. Plain and simple, these are lies paid for by CEOs who negotiate lavish salaries for themselves but don’t want you to be able to bargain for a better life for yourself and your family.

In reality, the Employee Free Choice Act would strengthen your freedom to choose union representation. It protects the right to a secret ballot. It gives workers more ways to bargain together for health care benefits and fair wages. On average, workers who belong to unions earn 30 percent more and are much more likely to have health and pension benefits.

Politicians who support the Employee Free Choice Act, like me, want to provide a fairer way for working men and women to rebuild America’s middle class. I urge you to support candidates who support the Employee Free Choice Act and to reject the lies of those CEOs who want to continue lining their pockets while they keep picking yours.

Ellison won re-election with 71 percent of the vote—not by running from his support for workers, but by working to educate his constituents about the Employee Free Choice Act and what we need to do to make the economy work for everyone.

With the public strongly in support of the freedom to form unions and bargain, Ellison’s success should be an example to other political leaders.