Employee Free Choice Act Passes House

It is one step forward, one step back today on the labor front. On a more positive note, the House of Representatives just passed the Employee Free Choice Act 241-185. It faces a tough slog in the Senate and certain veto by Bush. However, the people's house just voted overwhelmingly to protect workers against harassment and intimidation.

California's own Rep. George Miller makes us proud with his closing remarks today. (h/t to the Gavel)

Like Nancy Scola says over at MyDD, this comes down to picking sides: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers or the workers? They have made it clear that they want win with fear and destroy collective bargaining.

History and recent events leave no doubt that there are those among us who really don't like unions. There are national interests committed to ripping the heart out of the labor movement. They want to, in the words of Grover Norquist, "to crush labor as a political entity" and eliminate unions. That's all that this debate is about. That's it. There are anti-union interest groups, union-busting law firms, there's an industry in this country of trying to cut the legs out from the labor movement. It's an undeniable part of the American political landscape. It has been as long as there have been unions.

There is a thriving industry designed to deny workers the ability to advocate for better working conditions. The Employee Free Choice Act would stop them in their tracks and create a much more open and accountable process.

And as Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during the debate:

The Employee Free Choice Act is the most important labor law reform legislation of this generation. But this legislation is about more than labor law: it is about basic labor rights, about the rule of the majority free from intimidation, and about protecting jobs.

It is a guarantee - when a majority of workers say they want a union, they will get a union.

Now the Senate will have to decide if they will support the workers or those who want to crush them. Free choice or threats and illegal firings? Do we respect worker's choices or show them contempt?