A Real Solution for our Economy

A Real Solution for our Economy

By Joe Wantz

October 7th, 2008 - 3:04pm ET


The national conversation has been focused squarely on the economy in the last several weeks, with pundits and experts breathlessly declaring a financial catastrophe of epic scale. Of course, those of us who live in the real world knew the economy has been in trouble far before Wall Street failed. We know people who had their house lost to foreclosure. We know people who have had their jobs outsourced or eliminated. We know people who work more than one job to pay the bills and support their families. And we know that something needs to change.

Change, however, cannot simply come from the top down. The financial market bailout may help to restore confidence on Wall Street, but does little to cure the many problems on Main Street. The average American worker needs more than assurances that once the financial markets are “fixed” that they will be taken care of. Workers truly need to have their own voice and determine their own economic destiny. One of the best ways to do that, of course, is through forming a union at work. Unfortunately, over the last thirty years, employers across the United States have cracked down on organizing, resulting in a decline of union membership. It comes as no surprise that during that time wages have stagnated, 47 million Americans have no health insurance, and foreclosures have skyrocketed out of control.

The Employee Free Choice Act is an important part of the fight to regain the American dream for millions of workers. It will level the playing field by giving employees a free and direct path to form unions, toughen penalties against employers who break the law, and help restore balance to our obsolete federal labor laws. Union members earn 30% more, have better access to health care and other benefits, and have greater job security. Let’s get the conversation back to where it belongs, on the well-being and strength of the American worker. It’s time our economy worked for everyone again.

The author works for American Rights at Work, www.americanrightsatwork.org


My response:

The Employee Free Choice Act

By Alan Maki | October 7th, 2008 - 4:59pm GMT

Mr. Wantz, you fail to mention that some twenty-eight states have "at-will hiring, at-will firing" legislation which makes the Employee Free Choice Act useless for workers in these twenty-eight states including the huge industrial state of Michigan and Minnesota.

You also fail to mention that the The Employee Free Choice Act will have no affect on some two-million casino workers employed at jobs in the Indian Gaming Industry who are forced to work in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights under state or federal labor laws in spite of the fact that the "Compacts" creating this Indian Gaming Industry are the creations of state and federal governments.

These two-million workers employed under these Draconian conditions in the Indian Gaming Industry would, again, be excluded from The Employee Free Choice Act.

When is your organization, American Rights at Work going to acknowledge this problem and bring forward solutions.

As you are fully aware, the Democratic Governor of Michigan has just signed her signature to another one of these "Compacts" without insisting that the rights of workers be protected. Governor Granholm could have withheld her signature from this "Compact" and insisted that before she approved it, all laws regulating terms of employment and working conditions must be adhered to. I would note that the state and federal bureaucracies regulate the one-armed bandits and inspect these slot machines... certainly the lives of working people employed in these casinos are as important as the machines rigged to take in money.

December 10, 2008 marks the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights and here we have the Democratic Party touting the Employee Free Choice Act which, for all practical purposes will leave working people in twenty-eight states without protection from a piece of legislation claiming to aid workers in union organizing and some two-million workers employed in more than 450 casinos strung out across this country will have no rights at all... for whom The Employee Free Choice Act will be completely meaningless.

How would you suggest that these casino workers escape from poverty?

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council