Colorado small businesses back union card-check bill

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/06/08/daily74.html

Wednesday, June 10, 2009, 4:55pm MDT

Denver Business Journal - by Ed Sealover

More than 225 Colorado small businesses announced their support Wednesday for the Employee Free Choice Act, a federal proposal changing union-organizing rules that so far has received overwhelming criticism from the business community.

The companies released a phone directory entitled Small Businesses for an Equitable Economy that lists EFCA supporters ranging from bakeries to clothing stores to moving services. The directory was released by Employee Free Choice Colorado, a group of union members and other supporters of the so-called “card check” bill.

Union workers make 33 percent more in wages and are 52 percent more likely to have health care, the group said in a news release.

“We have a fundamental economic problem: The middle class is disappearing in America,” said Terri Monley, owner of Denver-based Gate City Moving. “Congress needs to pass the Employee Free Choice Act because it is one of the most important steps we can take to strengthen our middle class and turn our economy around.”

The legislation would allow a company’s employees to unionize if a majority of them check off boxes on cards saying that they’d like to do so rather than requiring a secret-ballot vote. It also would toughen penalties against business leaders who try to interfere in union votes and would require contract disputes to go to binding arbitration if not settled within 120 days.

Most Colorado business leaders have said that passing the law could lead to an increase in union intimidation tactics to get workers to sign their cards and would lead businesses to expand operations overseas rather than domestically.

FULL story at link.

[Omaha Steve]

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