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Employee Free Choice Act Over the past eight years, we have seen the middle class deteriorate as Big Business and their lobbyists were given free rein on George W. Bush's watch. Workers’ rights were thrown out the window, and companies did their best to intimidate or terminate any employees who even uttered the word "union.” The Employee Free Choice Act is the legislation that can turn the system around. Don't believe the lies of Big Business. Corporate America wants you to
believe the Employee Free Choice Act will do away with the secret ballot. Not
true. What the legislation does is to put that decision back in the hands of
workers. The Employee Free Choice Act would level the playing field and ensure
that workers' freedom to choose whether to join a union is protected by doing
the following:
The Teamsters are working hard to pass this legislation. Teamsters
across the country have been writing letters, making phone calls, and
participating in rallies, press conferences, and worksite visits to spread the
word and let Congress, especially the Senate, know we need the Employee Free
Choice Act. We ask you to join in the fight to pass the Employee Free
Choice Act because every working American should have the right to become part
of a union. To send a letter to your Senators urging them to support this
important legislation, click
here. In 1996, FedEx Express manipulated the system. The company got a special deal that misclassifies the majority of FedEx Express workers, which has resulted in limiting workers’ freedom of association and their right to form a union. Most of the workers at FedEx Express have little or nothing to do with aircraft operations, but these workers have been unfairly classified under the Railway Labor Act. The Railway Labor Act (RLA) is for rail and airline employees. This group of misclassified workers includes truck drivers, truck mechanics, package handlers, couriers and all other non-FAA-licensed employees at FedEx Express – all working classes that should be under the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Because those employed under the RLA are only allowed to form a union on the national level, FedEx employees who should be able to organize on a worksite by worksite basis (as is possible under the NLRA) are unable to become a part of a union. In addition, the special deal allotted to FedEx has created an unfair cost advantage in the package delivery industry. The Teamsters are working to level the playing field in the package delivery industry and ensure working Americans across the country are afforded the right to form a union. The U.S. Senate needs to hear from us! Please ask your Senators for their support of the Express Carrier provision and that they make sure it is included in the final FAA Reauthorization bill. To send an email to your Senators, click here. Health care reform The Teamsters support the House tri-committee health care reform bill – America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, H.R. 3200. The bill has passed three House committees – Education and Labor, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce The House Rules Committee will combine the bills, and debate on the bill will be taken up after the August recess. America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 would provide comprehensive health care reform our nation needs – affordable, quality health care for all. The bill creates a public plan option and cost-containment measures. The public plan will compete with insurance companies, with the goal of forcing them to keep their costs reasonable. While most Teamster members have health insurance, the cost of premiums, copayments, and deductibles has gone up, and rising health care costs have been a contentious issue during union contract negotiations, with workers giving up wage increases in exchange for continued coverage by employers of these rising costs. Therefore, a public plan option would benefit both the uninsured and insured – the uninsured would have an affordable option for health care and those who already have insurance would realize a savings as health care costs are contained. As union members, lower health care costs will mean more negotiating room with employers in other areas, such as wages. America’s Affordable Health Choices Act also does not include taxation of employer-provided health care benefits. The Teamsters oppose any kind of taxation on health care benefits, whether it be on the worker, employer, or insurance company. On the Senate side, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee has passed its version of an overhaul bill, and the Finance Committee continues to work on its version, which it expects to introduce after the August recess. For more information on H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, and ways to get involved, please visit the new Teamsters for Health Care Reform Now.
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