Employee Free Choice Depends on Mobilization Not Seen Since the 1930s

Even with the election of the most pro-worker president and Congress in decades, passage of the Employee Free Choice Act faces strong obstacles and will not become law unless labor mobilizes as it hasn't in years, CWA leaders stated.

CWA is redoubling its campaign on behalf of the critical legislation so it will have the support necessary to clear Congress in the face of what will be a tsunami of opposition from big business and anti-labor forces.

"Now, we all must stand up and continue the fight for this critical legislation as if our contracts, pensions, and health care depend on it," said CWA President Larry Cohen in a message to locals. "The opposition is ready, with millions more dollars to spend. We must meet their dollars with the kind of massive worker mobilization we have not seen in the United States since the 1930s and 1940s."

A massive mobilization is necessary to secure votes from at least 60 Senators when the bill is reintroduced in Congress early next year. Last year, supporters fell short of the necessary votes to prevent the legislation from being filibustered, and blocked from a final floor vote. The November elections resulted in the election of seven new pro-worker senators likely to endorse Employee Free Choice, but more support will be necessary to secure passage.

Passage of the Employee Free Choice Act will be critical to enabling the nation to quickly emerge from the severe economic crisis, and CWA identified the legislation as the centerpiece of its Economic Recovery Plan for American Families. The other ingredients are the creation of 21st century jobs and infrastructure and health care for all.

CWA will be mounting a large-scale national campaign, marshalling full-time CWA activists in key states and aggressive worker tactics across the country. To help offset the millions of dollars that are now pouring in to defeat employee free choice, CWA will be coordinating its efforts with its Alliance partners, the AFL-CIO, Change to Win unions, and American Rights at Work, which launched a new ad to generate support for the legislation. Click here to view ad.

Outreach to allied groups will be critical too. This week, one of the nation's largest African-American religious groups, the 3 million member National Baptist Convention of America, signed on to support the Employee Free Choice campaign.

As of this week, 110,386 CWAers have signed on as supporters of the Million Member Mobilization for the Employee Free Choice Act, but CWA is urging union activists to continue the campaign to win more support among co-workers, friends, and family members. Sign up online at www.freechoicecwa.com.