Labor Pains: Because Being in a Union can be Painful

Sen. Hatch, Rep. Price Introduce Employee Rights Act

Today, Senator Orin Hatch (R-UT) and Representative Tom Price (R-GA) reintroduced the Employee Rights Act (ERA). The ERA is a set of commonsense reforms that put employees’ rights first when it comes to labor law.

The bill is composed of eight straightforward principles:

Majority of All Employees — Require that a majority of all employees in a proposed unit vote in favor of joining a union, not merely a majority of those who vote.

Secret Ballot Elections — Guarantee that a majority of all employees have a right to a secret paper ballot election. Prevents pressuring an employer to deny a secret ballot election.

Political Protection — Require unions to receive opt-in permission from each member to use his or her union dues for purposes other than collective bargaining (e.g., political support).

Union Recertification Elections — Require all unionized workplaces to hold a secret ballot referendum periodically to determine whether the employees wish to remain represented by their current union.

Employee Privacy Protection — Gives employees the right to opt out of having their personal information shared with a union during an organizing campaign.

Decertification Coercion Prevention — Strengthen the National Labor Relations Act to prohibit unions from intimidating or coercing employees from exercising their rights, including their right to decertify the union.

Secret Ballot Strike Vote — Ensure that a majority of all employees in the bargaining unit have the right to a secret ballot vote before union leaders can declare a strike.

Criminalizes Union Threats — Forbid unions from using violence, or threats thereof, in an effort to coerce employees.

Find out more at EmployeeRightsAct.com

Categories: Employee Rights Act