The demonstration was one of several that took place around the state to call attention to the need to strengthen worker rights legislation.
The topic of the NFIB luncheon, which attracted about a dozen people, was the Employee Free Choice Act, union-backed federal legislation that would affect the rights of workers and employers during workplace organizing drives. The bill won approval in the House of Representatives in March, and the Senate plans a vote sometime this month.
The NFIB used the luncheon to drum up opposition to the legislation, claiming it "will leave small business owners powerless against union organizers."
Union members gathered outside the Lowell Inn, however, said the Employee Free Choice Act would give responsible business owners no trouble at all.
"This legislation will give working Americans the tools they need to fight back against declining wages and benefits," said Jeannette Rebar, one of 10 union members who handed out informational flyers to people on their way into the NFIB luncheon. "But it won\'t have much impact on independent businesses that already treat their workers with respect."
At issue is a key provision of the Employee Free Choice Act that would allow workers to form unions via the process of majority sign-up. Under current labor law, employers call on the National Labor Relations Board to oversee secret-ballot elections when their workers attempt to organize unions.
The Employee Free Choice Act would grant workers – not the employers – the right to request majority sign-up, in which employees sign authorization cards if they wish to designate a union as their bargaining representative.
The NFIB calls majority sign-up undemocratic, but unions point to statistics that indicate NLRB elections often are corrupted by coercion on the part of employers. It is the NLRB elections, they claim, that are anything but democratic.
Surveys show that 92 percent of private-sector employers involved in organizing drives force their employees to attend closed-door, anti-union meetings. More than half of employers whose workers attempt to organize threaten to close up shop if the union wins the election. And one in five union supporters are illegally fired during organizing campaigns.
Such scare tactics are a big reason why the 60 million nonunion workers in the U.S. who say they want union representation still don\'t have it, the union members said.
In addition to making organizing drives more transparent, the Employee Free Choice Act would stiffen penalties imposed upon employers who illegally fire, threaten or intimidate employees during organizing drives.
Union members also questioned the intentions of the NFIB. Although the group portrays itself as "the voice of small business," it is part of the national umbrella group "Coalition for a Democratic Workplace," whose membership consists of deep-pocketed national business groups and their affiliates.
Large corporations like Wal-Mart and Circuit City are among the strongest opponents of the Employee Free Choice Act. Those same corporations are among the worst offenders, unions claim, when it comes to paying below-market wages, undercutting the small businesses the NFIB claims to represent and using fear to keep their employees from organizing.
Earlier in the week, union members and other supporters of the Employee Free Choice Act demonstrated in Mendota Heights, Rochester and Mankato.
Michael Moore edits The Union Advocate, the official publication of the St. Paul Trades & Labor Assembly. Visit the Assembly website, www.stpaulunions.org
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A National Federation of Independent Business lobbyist (above) walks past union members and activists who lined the sidewalk in front Stillwater\'s historic Lowell Inn on Thursday. Supporters of the Employee Free Choice Act also demonstrated in Rochester on Tuesday (below). Stillwater photo by Michael Moore |
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The demonstration was one of several that took place around the state to call attention to the need to strengthen worker rights legislation.
The topic of the NFIB luncheon, which attracted about a dozen people, was the Employee Free Choice Act, union-backed federal legislation that would affect the rights of workers and employers during workplace organizing drives. The bill won approval in the House of Representatives in March, and the Senate plans a vote sometime this month.
The NFIB used the luncheon to drum up opposition to the legislation, claiming it "will leave small business owners powerless against union organizers."
Union members gathered outside the Lowell Inn, however, said the Employee Free Choice Act would give responsible business owners no trouble at all.
"This legislation will give working Americans the tools they need to fight back against declining wages and benefits," said Jeannette Rebar, one of 10 union members who handed out informational flyers to people on their way into the NFIB luncheon. "But it won\’t have much impact on independent businesses that already treat their workers with respect."
At issue is a key provision of the Employee Free Choice Act that would allow workers to form unions via the process of majority sign-up. Under current labor law, employers call on the National Labor Relations Board to oversee secret-ballot elections when their workers attempt to organize unions.
The Employee Free Choice Act would grant workers – not the employers – the right to request majority sign-up, in which employees sign authorization cards if they wish to designate a union as their bargaining representative.
The NFIB calls majority sign-up undemocratic, but unions point to statistics that indicate NLRB elections often are corrupted by coercion on the part of employers. It is the NLRB elections, they claim, that are anything but democratic.
Surveys show that 92 percent of private-sector employers involved in organizing drives force their employees to attend closed-door, anti-union meetings. More than half of employers whose workers attempt to organize threaten to close up shop if the union wins the election. And one in five union supporters are illegally fired during organizing campaigns.
Such scare tactics are a big reason why the 60 million nonunion workers in the U.S. who say they want union representation still don\’t have it, the union members said.
In addition to making organizing drives more transparent, the Employee Free Choice Act would stiffen penalties imposed upon employers who illegally fire, threaten or intimidate employees during organizing drives.
Union members also questioned the intentions of the NFIB. Although the group portrays itself as "the voice of small business," it is part of the national umbrella group "Coalition for a Democratic Workplace," whose membership consists of deep-pocketed national business groups and their affiliates.
Large corporations like Wal-Mart and Circuit City are among the strongest opponents of the Employee Free Choice Act. Those same corporations are among the worst offenders, unions claim, when it comes to paying below-market wages, undercutting the small businesses the NFIB claims to represent and using fear to keep their employees from organizing.
Earlier in the week, union members and other supporters of the Employee Free Choice Act demonstrated in Mendota Heights, Rochester and Mankato.
Michael Moore edits The Union Advocate, the official publication of the St. Paul Trades & Labor Assembly. Visit the Assembly website, www.stpaulunions.org
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A National Federation of Independent Business lobbyist (above) walks past union members and activists who lined the sidewalk in front Stillwater\’s historic Lowell Inn on Thursday. Supporters of the Employee Free Choice Act also demonstrated in Rochester on Tuesday (below). Stillwater photo by Michael Moore |
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