The Inadequate Costs of Labor Law Violations

[Omaha Steve]

http://broadcastunionnews.blogspot.com/2009/10/inadequate-costs-of-labor-law.html

Saturday, October 17, 2009
The Inadequate Costs of Labor Law Violations
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/


Employers have little reason to abide by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), as the financial disincentives of violating the law are minimal. From firing, demoting, or retaliating against workers for their support of a union to ignoring their duty to negotiate a contract, many employers blatantly violate the NLRA.


Other major federal employment laws impose fines or damages on employers who break the law. Yet the NLRA’s nominal deterrents do little to prevent employer lawlessness compared to the costs of violating minimum wage, discrimination, and health and safety protections.



If passed, the Employee Free Choice Act will address the insufficient law by increasing penalties on those who break the law and giving workers the just compensation they deserve. There is a Solution: The Employee Free Choice Act.

The Employee Free Choice Act would restore balance and level the playing field during the union organizing process. The bill requires the NLRB to seek injunctive relief to reinstate workers when it has reasonable cause to believe their rights were violated. Under current law, injunctions are only required against significant violations by unions, creating an unbalanced system tilted in management’s favor.

This reform will give workers who have been wrongly fired an opportunity to go back to work without unreasonable delay. As importantly, this law will help end the chilling effect, sending a loud and clear message to others that their job security isn’t on the line for supporting a union.

Every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases its calculation of union membership. For 2005, the BLS calculated that 36.5% of public employees were union members and 7.8% of private employees were union members, for a total of 12.5% in the labor force.

FULL story at link.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

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