Employee Free Choice Act Would Aid Exploited Workers

Human trafficking and other forms of worker exploitation are far more common when workers are not offered an opportunity to voice their concerns and request fair pay and accomodations.  Guest blogger Tim Newman writes about how the Employee Free Choice Act can help provide protection from trafficking and exploitation to the most vulnerable workers here in the U.S.

It's been called "Armageddon," "the demise of civilization," and "one of the fundamental threats to society."  That is how the largest corporations in the world describe the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a bill that would ensure that workers in the US have a free choice and a fair chance to form a union.

EFCA contains three main provisions.  The bill would:

1)      Allow workers to join a union once a majority of employees sign written authorization forms supporting the union.

2)      Allow for federal government mediation or binding arbitration if a contract is not reached within a reasonable timeframe.

3)      Increase penalties for employers who violate the right of workers to organize.

The current status quo of labor relations allows for a global race to the bottom in relation to worker rights protections and wages - a system that benefits CEOs and disadvantages workers.  Our campaign work at the International Labor Rights Forum often focuses on some of the most extreme forms of worker rights violations like child labor, forced labor, and trafficking.  These workers are often isolated, living in extreme poverty and have little access to the means to protect their legal rights.  What these and most other workers in the US and around the world share is the lack of a voice in the workplace.

On the other hand, employers have a massive amount of power to determine working conditions.  For example, CEO pay has increased dramatically over the years: CEOs make 344 times the average worker and the gap between worker and executive pay has multiplied tenfold since the early 1980s.  Former Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott summed up the sentiments of many CEOs when he said, "We like driving the car and we're not going to give the steering wheel to anybody but us."  That is why employers currently use a range of tactics to violate workers' right to organize.

When workers join unions, they see their wages, hours, health care and a range of other benefits improve, and the most vulnerable and disadvantaged workers have the most to gain.  Increased unionization rates have also been shown to lead to important improvements for workers outside of organized labor by contributing to higher standards for labor conditions throughout various industries.  Unions provide an essential voice for workers to resist exploitation and they provide a counterweight to the power of employers.  That is why members of the Child Labor Coalition have supported EFCA.

It is time for the US to be a leader in protecting the rights of workers.  Those of us concerned about trafficking should support legislative measures to ensure that workers can effectively advocate for their rights.  Click here to support EFCA now.