Worker Op-Ed by Billy Mason: Employee Free Choice Act levels the playing field

http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-op_union_0517may17,0,6546811.story

May 17, 2009

The Employee Free Choice Act receives a lot of press. Despite all of the attention, I'm not sure the public truly understands what obstacles workers face when they try to form a union.

Here's a pretty accurate description: Imagine a football game between one team with cleats, helmets and shoulder pads playing another who doesn't have any equipment at all. It's not only that companies have all kinds of advantages, but also that workers are so vulnerable to abuse. The Employee Free Choice Act will help even the playing field.

I've been through two organizing campaigns, and I hope my experience will explain why we desperately need this legislation.

For 24 years, I've worked at a plant in Hampton where we manufacture parts for airplanes. Over the years, we've steadily fallen behind. I now make $2 an hour less in real wages than I did 24 years ago. The company no longer provides fully paid health coverage. Retirees' pensions are not enough to live on. Sadly, too many who should be enjoying time with their grandkids are instead coming back to work as temps without any benefits.

I asked our managers, "What would you do if you were in my shoes? What would you do if you didn't have medical benefits when you retired, if your pay wasn't keeping up and your insurance premiums were constantly rising?" My bet was that they'd do what we did and try to form a union.

So we began forming a union with the United Steelworkers. The company fought back with a flood of misinformation and intimidation. At the beginning of each shift, the company held meetings where it bashed the union. We were up against consultants who coached our supervisors on what to say.

FULL story at link.

We need the power of the union to keep anything: freedom, jobs, souls, health, anything.

The state and federal governments need to buy themselves a clue, while there is still time.