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This Speakout has not been edited

By Keith Maddox, Colorado AFL-CIO deputy trustee

Yesterday’s vote on the Employee Free Choice Act marks an historic moment in the long battle to restore workers’ freedoms in this country. A majority of US Senators voted for the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation that will allow workers to exercise their freedom to form and join unions and bargain collectively. That is a watershed achievement – one scarcely imagined just a couple of years ago – and an important step toward shoring up our nation’s struggling middle class.

It is a shame that the Republican’s obstructionist tactics kept the majority’s views from prevailing. The vote today shows us who is standing on the side of working families’ dreams and economic opportunity – and who is standing with corporate America to block working people’s bargaining power. The obstruction by the Republicans in the minority in Congress is shameful and it will be remembered.

In Colorado, however, Senator Ken Salazar showed us that he stands with working families. He understands that a paycheck doesn’t stretch nearly as far as it could with a union card. He knows the intimidating tactics employers use to keep workers from exercising their freedom to form a union – he realizes that labor law is broken in this country.

We commend Senator Salazar for standing with working families and voting for the Employee Free Choice Act. However, Senator Wayne Allard turned his back on his constituents today. Instead of listening to our stories of intimidation, fear, and economic hardship, he sided with big business to obstruct the bill that would help millions of workers exercise their freedom to form and join unions.

Working families across the country contacted their Senators to indicate their support for this common sense legislation. The grassroots activity is bigger and more exciting than anybody could have imagined. Support is pouring in from working men and women as well as from 16 governors, state legislators and local officials from every state, religious leaders and other allies.

Americans have seen up close the terrible price working families are paying for our failure to protect workers’ rights. Living standards are falling. Health care and pensions are declining. Americans know the best way to the middle class is a union card – union workers earn 30% more than workers who don’t have a union.

No wonder more than half of U.S. workers — 60 million — say they would join a union right now if they could. But the system is so broken that workers cannot exercise their right. It is so broken that last year alone, more than 31,000 workers had their union rights violated by their employer.

But today’s Senate vote shows the ground has shifted. Working families in Colorado have the attention of our representatives at the local, state, and national level. As we march towards the 2008 elections, the groundswell of support will carry us to the ballot box and to a government that makes the Employee Free Choice Act law.

READER COMMENTS

U. A. W. == U Ain't Workin

Not one single foreign namplate being built and assembled right here in the USA has ever approved a positive union vote. Toyota, Nissan, Volks, Honda, Subaru, BMW, Benz all American workers building cars in the USA and paying taxes here have always (100%) said NO and never said yes to the UAW. And they are all working overtime for companies opening new plants in the USA and taking the market away from the UAW.

Think about it...U Ain't Worlin'. ORGANIZE THAT!

And without a secret ballot so typically American, you invite Tony and Rocco in for a 2 A.M. visit with you, your wife and kids.

"Yous got a problem wit a secret baldot, or do I gotta break bod your stinkin' knees?"

Where has all this hostility towards the people who invented weekends come from. Somehow, you have all been convinced that you are so worthless that you deserve to work longer and harder for less money and abysmal benefits. What's happened to the pride of the American worker?

Unions cannot take money from their members and spend it any way they want. They must spend it according to the wishes of the membership, or the membership can change the leadership. Unions are democratic and are run by their members.

The reason people must pay dues when they are represented by unions is because they are benefiting from the union just like everyone else. Would these workers who don't like unions prefer to give up the 30% extra they make in their paychecks in order to not pay dues? Unfortunately, federal law requires unions to represent workers who don't pay dues.

I wish workers could opt out of all of the benefits they receive from union representation if they didn't feel like paying dues. I wonder how many of these indignant union-haters would give up all the extra pay and benefits just to not pay their dues. My guess, not many.

It's no mistake that as more workers have adopted the self-hating attitude that all of you seem to embrace, and union membership declines, so do the wages and benefits of American workers. Americans are working longer and harder for less and less, and you are all ok with that. I just don't get it.

Oh no, those wascawwy republicans stopped the unions from accepting a secret ballot.... booo freaking hoo. Just because you are trying to keep your cuddly job as a Union worker, making money off of people who actually work, kind of like a parasite, and now you want to be able to add illegals and strong arm your tactics through people who don't want your "help"

I shall start a cheer as I see all of these unions die a slow death, hopefully getting the whiny union workers off the payroll and out into the real world where they will be living under a bridge... oh, prolly not. They will have stolen the pension mone by then.

These Union "Leaders" take lot's of Money from workers and spend it anyway they like. It's a multi-million dollar scam.

Meanwhile they keep getting richer.

My father was in the AFL-CIO and the president of his local. He would be shocked to see the "unions" of today advocating for ending the secret ballot, favoring illegal alien workers, and continuing to support a political party that favors racism over working people's rights. The lies this author must tell himself in order to keep cashing that union paycheck must be pretty extreme!

Keith sounds like he supports extortion (arm twisting) of employees who don't want to have anything to do with unions.

If not, than why do unions expect dues from non willing union members who never wanted a union? If i'm a non willing union member in one of his union shops than I'm going to exercise my FREE CHOICE to break the extortionist union's hold on my paycheck!

Union's want it both ways and don't speak for the average working person (who's here legally!).

Unions are driving the nails into their own coffins by recruiting illegal aliens as members. In their desperation to stabilize and increase membership roles by recruiting the illegals, they are undermining their basic tenant of protecting the American worker.

As has been the case for the last few years unions are talking out of both sides of their mouth. The workers don't really matter anymore, only the union (and their leadership) count.

This current legislation will only make it easier to pressure the illegals into joining. Once they have a large percentage of their membership as illegals they will start lobbying for amnesty. Again, turning their backs on the people they are supposed to exist to protect -- the American worker.

Big money, big unions and politicians make for unholy alliance.

Unions are outdated and need to be retired. One only needs to look at what UNIONS protect. How hard is it to watch a robotic machine drill a hole or screw a bolt, according to UNIONS a person must be paid a minimum of $18.00 hour. Unions once served a purpose but have now become to involved in things outside the areana of workers. I say we do away with UNIONS. Why should my job depend on wether I join the UNION as UNIONs do not represent me or my beliefs.

Salazar supported it because now illegals can join the union and make more money.
If a union lets this happen you are breaking the law and I hope the union will be prosecuted.Too bad you'll have to spend my husbands dues on defendind hiring illegals than lining the pockets of the democrats.You expect Allard to vote for something when he probably didn't give a campaign contribution?
You know how this game is played so stop whining.

I will say this if I find out that my husbands union is letting illegals join ,I will be calling Mr. Allard as well as ICE everyday. I will not let my husband's lifetime union membership, ( over 25 years) to be cheapened by illegal immigrants. So the union better watch out,because if you don't verify documents and hire illegals ,I will do everything in my power to make sure you are prosecuted.

I'm sure their are alot of union members who will join in a class action suit to sue the unions for letting illegals to join. They are not welcome.

Go ahead make my day!

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