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Free Choice Act Goes to NJ Governor for Signature
The New Jersey Senate has followed the lead of the state Assembly and voted to approve legislation expanding the freedom of workers there to choose a union by card-check authorization.
The CWA-backed legislation, already passed by the state assembly, now goes to acting Gov. Richard J. Codey (D), who, as president of the Senate, voted for the bill.
The legislation, approved 24-to-11 June 27, covers workers who do not fall under the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Act. Those employers whose workers could choose a union by signing authorization cards indicating their support for the union include race track owners, breeders and trainers, real estate brokers, certain small businesses not engaged in interstate commerce, certain public employers and supervisors.
Similar laws already exist in California, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts (covering charter school workers only) and majority sign-up is specifically provided for, on a voluntary basis, in New Mexico, Alaska and Ohio.
The state senate's action came the same day as nearly 100 union members and activists and several New Jersey members of the U.S. House of Representatives held a forum on the federal Employee Free Choice Act (S. 842 and H.R. 1696).
The Employee Free Choice Act would strengthen protections for workers' freedom to choose by requiring employers to recognize a union after a majority of workers sign cards authorizing union representation. It also would provide for mediation and arbitration of first-contract disputes and authorize stronger penalties for violation of the law when workers seek to form a union.
New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech told the forum there are "Employers who refuse to give their employees the respect they deserve...who will stop at nothing to prevent their workers from having a voice at work."
The bill is "a pro-fairness piece of legislation. You ought to be able to express your will or your opposition to the creation of a union in a non-coercive environment," said Rep. Robert Andrews (D-N.J.).
The bipartisan federal bill has 194 co-sponsors on the House and 38 in the Senate.
The CWA-backed legislation, already passed by the state assembly, now goes to acting Gov. Richard J. Codey (D), who, as president of the Senate, voted for the bill.
The legislation, approved 24-to-11 June 27, covers workers who do not fall under the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Act. Those employers whose workers could choose a union by signing authorization cards indicating their support for the union include race track owners, breeders and trainers, real estate brokers, certain small businesses not engaged in interstate commerce, certain public employers and supervisors.
Similar laws already exist in California, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts (covering charter school workers only) and majority sign-up is specifically provided for, on a voluntary basis, in New Mexico, Alaska and Ohio.
The state senate's action came the same day as nearly 100 union members and activists and several New Jersey members of the U.S. House of Representatives held a forum on the federal Employee Free Choice Act (S. 842 and H.R. 1696).
The Employee Free Choice Act would strengthen protections for workers' freedom to choose by requiring employers to recognize a union after a majority of workers sign cards authorizing union representation. It also would provide for mediation and arbitration of first-contract disputes and authorize stronger penalties for violation of the law when workers seek to form a union.
New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech told the forum there are "Employers who refuse to give their employees the respect they deserve...who will stop at nothing to prevent their workers from having a voice at work."
The bill is "a pro-fairness piece of legislation. You ought to be able to express your will or your opposition to the creation of a union in a non-coercive environment," said Rep. Robert Andrews (D-N.J.).
The bipartisan federal bill has 194 co-sponsors on the House and 38 in the Senate.