Professor Lilly
Topics in Labor Laws
April 1, 2013
The Epmloyee Free Choice Act has been a hot topic within the past few years. It has been pushed through congress several times, with hopes to change the way unions get organized. Within the next few pages, this paper will describe what a union is and how it is started, what the Employee Free Choice Act entails, how it will change our system, and the arguements for and against passing this bill. The EFCA is a system that will protect employee rights and break the bad habit of unfair union elections that our legal system has allowed throughout the years.
A union is an organized group of workers who band together for mutual aid and protection, collective bargaining, and safe working conditions. There are several steps to follow when starting a union.
The first step in starting a union would be to gather a small committee of employees that are enthusiastic about the idea of starting a union. While starting this committee it is crucial that you keep the process on the down low; the longer it takes for management to find out, the least amount of time they have to try and sabotage your attempt. Next, you must choose whether you want to be affiliated with a large international union, or start an independent union. Independent unions are protected the same by labor laws just as if it were a largely known international union. When making this decision, it is important to muster up information and get ideas on how to properly organize and what resources are best to use.
After a union is chosen, you must determine the bargaining unit. Determining a bargaining unit is basically stating who will and who will not be able to join the union. Once a bargaining unit is decided, it is determined by the National Labor Relations Bureau. During this process employees must sign union authorization cards. An authorization card is a system used to show that the employee who signs it wants to be represented by