workers’ rights are human rights : teach-in on the freedom to form unions

Workers’ Rights Are Human Rights: Teach-In on the Freedom to

Form Unions

Topics for Today

1. Why Workers Want Unions

2. Why America Needs Unions

3. The Freedom to Form a Union is a Fundamental Human Right

4. Why Workers Can’t Get Unions

5. What We Can Do: Mobilize for Workers Rights!

1. Why Workers Want Unions

Workers want to join together to win better pay, better benefits, job safety, better working conditions, fair treatment and a voice on the job.

http://leadershipforchange.org/awardees/images/20.jpg

Part One: Why Workers Want Unions

Union Advantage: Wages, Health Care, Pensions and Vacations

Source: U.S. Department of Labor; BLS; EPI; Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Nonunion Union

Wages

$622

$801

Health Insurance

68%

92%

Guaranteed Pension

16%

73%

Vacations

11.75 days

15 days

• Negotiate for affordable and high quality child care

• Negotiate flexible schedules helpful for working parents and those with sick or elderly family members

• Negotiate for family leave policies that help working parents


Unions Help Promote Family Life


Millions of WorkersWant Unions

0

1 0

2 0

3 0

4 0

5 0

6 0

57million

15.7 million

Sources: BLS; Peter Hart Research.

Don’t Have a Union But Want One

Have a Union

2. Why America Needs Unions

AFL-CIO Voice @ Work Campaign

Part Two: Why America Needs Unions Collective Bargaining Is a Public Good

• Raises everyone’s living standards

• Stimulates economy

• Reduces inequality and poverty

• Narrows race and gender wage gaps

• Strengthens our social safety net

• Increases political participation

• Counters excessive corporate power


Part Two: Why America Needs Unions

Raises Everyone’s Living Standards

Weak Union States Strong Union States

Poverty Rate

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Kaiser Family Foundation; U.S. Dept. of Education.

13.4%

11%

No Health Care

16.6%

13.6%

Household Income

$40,333

$48,877

Education Spending (per student)

$6,561

$9,296


Reduces Inequality and Poverty

C h i l d C a r eW o r k e r s

C o o k s H o u s e k e e p i n gC l e a n e r s

C a s h i e r s

Nonunion Union

$18,366 $18,824 $19,115$17,950

$23,275$24,211 $24,274

$23,338

Poverty Line $19,307

Source: U.S. Census; Bureau of Labor Statistics


Narrows Race and Gender Wage Gaps

All Workers +29%

Women +31%

African Amer.+31%

Latinos +50%

Nonunion Wages Union Wages

Source: BLS, 2006

$622

$801

$559

$731

$500

$656

$449

$673


Counters Excessive Inequality

Source: United for a Fair Economy.

CEO Pay As Multiple of Average Worker Pay


Promotes Civic and Political Participation

Source: Committee for the Study of the American Electorate.

5 6 . 1 %

4 0 %

4 5 %

5 0 %

5 5 %

6 0 %

6 5 %

2004 Presidential Election

Weak Union States Actual Voter

Turnout

Strong Union States Actual Voter

Turnout


Counters Excessive Corporate Powerin American Society

AFL-CIO Voice@Work CampaignSources: “Tax Facts: A Project of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution,” www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/overview/source_gdp.cfm; U.S. Census Bureau, BNA, 2001.

Union Density

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Union D

ensity

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1934 1940 1946 1952 1958 1964 1970 1976 1982 1988 1994 2000

Corporate Taxes

Fed

eral

Tax

es (

as p

erce

ntag

e of

the

GD

P)

Workers’ Comp


Strengthens Entire State’s Social Safety Net

Source: AFL-CIO, “The Silent War.”

Unemployment Ins.

Nonunion Union


Strengthens Social Safety Net

• Social Security Act, 1935 • Fair Labor Standards Act, 1938 • Pension Disclosure Act, 1958 • Equal Pay Act, 1963 • Civil Rights Act, 1964 • Medicare, 1965 • Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), 1970 • Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), 1974 • Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), 1990 • Family and Medical Leave Act, 1993


Who Will Set the Standardsfor American Jobs?

1975 2005

Largest Private Employer General Motors Wal-Mart

Wages Paid Middle class wage Poverty wage

Health Insurance Provided

Comprehensive Expensive and inadequate

Pension Offered Good None

Union Yes No

3. The Freedom to Form Unions and Bargain Collectively Is a Fundamental Human Right

Part Three: Freedom To Form a Union

Freedom to Form a Union Is a Legal and Human Right . . . In Theory

“Everyone has the right to form and join trade unions...”Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948

“Employees shall have the right to…form…labor organizations [and] to bargain collectively….”

National Labor Relations Act, 1935

“We support the right of . . . employees . . . to organize for collective bargaining into unions.”

Social Principles of United Methodist Church

Part Three: Freedom to Choose a Union

Freedom to Form Unions Is Well Recognized by Our Leaders

The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress. Those who would destroy or further limit the rights of organized labor…do a disservice to the cause of democracy.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Part Three: Freedom to Form A Union

What Does It Mean to Call Something a Human Right?

Calling something a human right “means that it …prevails over considerations of convenience or efficiency.”

If something is a human right “then it trumps mere economic interests of employers or the public.”

Hoyt WheelerPast President, IRRA

4. Why Workers Can’t Get Unions

What happens when workers try to win a voice at work?

Part Four: Why Workers Can’t Get Unions

According To Human Rights Watch

“Our findings are disturbing, to say the least. Loophole-ridden laws, paralyzing delays, and feeble enforcement have led to a culture of impunity in many areas of U.S. labor law and practice. Legal obstacles tilt the playing field so steeply against workers’ freedom of association that the United States is in violation of international human rights standards…”

Human Rights Watch Director Kenneth Roth


American Workers Are Losing the Freedom to Form Unions and Bargain Collectively

32 Million Workers Are Not Covered by Law

• Independent contractors

• Supervisors

• Farm workers

• Domestic workers

• Public employees in 23 states


Denial of Workers’ Rights Is Spreading

• Department of Justice Revoked union representation for hundred of workers.

• National Imagery and Mapping Agency Terminated collective bargaining rights for 1300 employees.

• Department of Defense Attacked civil service protections of 750,000 employees.

• Department of Homeland Security Withdrew right to bargain collectively from 200,000 employees.

• Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky Republican governors strip state workers of rights.

Part Four: Why Workers Can’t Form Unions

System Designed to Protect Our Freedom to Form Unions Is Broken!

• Outrageous delays

• Widespread violations of workers’ rights: a worker is illegally fired or discriminated against for activity “protected” by NLRA every 23 minutes!

• Employer penalties are weak

• NLRB election process has become a parody of democracy

Employer Interference by the Numbers

92% force employees to attend mandatory anti-worker presentations

78% force employees to attend one-on-one anti-union meetings with managers

75% hire consultants to help them fight union organizing campaign

51% threaten to move or close if workers vote to form a union

25% illegally fire at least one worker for union activity during organizing campaigns


NLRB Elections Are Inherently Unfair and Insult Our Democratic Traditions

Democratic Election NLRB Election

All parties have equal access to voter list and

voters.Yes.

No. Employer has full access; union has limited access to list and voters.

Voters cannot be intimidated or threatened.

Yes. No. Employer harasses and even fires supporters.

Voters can be forced to listen to one side only.

No.Yes. Employer holds

voters captive to message.

One side can delay election and outcome.

No.Yes. Employer can delay both almost indefinitely.

Election is conducted at campaign headquarters.

No.Yes. Election occurs

on company property.

5. What We Can Do About It!


Part Five: What We Can Do About It

It’s Time to Fight Back!


• 57 million U.S. workers want unions and can’t get them.

• Students can help change that.

Workers’ rights are human rights!


What We Can Do

• Participate in National Student Labor Week of Action!

• Support campus organizing and collective bargaining campaigns.

• Urge university to adopt a “code of conduct.”

• Support legislation to protect freedom to form unions.


Support the Employee Free Choice Act,S. 842 and H.R. 1696

• Lead Sponsors:– Senators Kennedy (D-MA) and Specter (R-PA) – Representatives George Miller (D-CA) and

Peter King (R-NY)

• Guarantees employee free choice through:– Democratic majority sign-up– First contract arbitration– Remedies


EFCA Student Action Checklist

Find out whether your Representative and Senators have co-sponsored the Employee Free Choice Act.

If they have, thank them.

If not, ask them to become a co-sponsor.

The AFL-CIO Organizing Institute recruits, trains and places talented and committed people in full-time positions helping workers form and join unions in the American union movement.

For more information, visit www.organize.aflcio.org.


How You Can Help Workers Form Unions


Participate in National Student Labor Week of Action

From March 31-April 4, 2006, students and labor will commemorate the lives of Cesar Chavez and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by highlighting the plight of campus workers nationwide.

To find out how you can take part, visit www.studentlabor.org.

workers’ rights are human rights : teach-in on the freedom to form unions

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