As my family has been active in labor unions for several generations, I continue to be a strong fan of them and of expanding employee rights. For links to the lyrics of the song and a YouTube of Pete Seeger & the Weavers singing it, go to the end.

Tuesday, the US Senate, it is said, will vote on the Employee Free Choice Act, a union sponsored bill which, if enacted, would ease unions’ ability to organize workers.

UPDATE: On a cloture motion, Senators favoring the Employee Free Choice Act gained 51 votes -- a majority of Senators but --not enough to cut off debate. (60 needed).
2nd UPDATE: Every single GOP Senator (except for Arlen Spector,PA) voted against the bill. Every Democratic Senator (and right leaning Leiberman and left-leaning Sanders) voted for it. Evict more GOP Senators. Remember this issue if ever someone says to you it makes no difference which party is in control

At present, after employees sign cards asking for union representation, employers can force an election. The result, as it should surprise no one, is that even where a majority of workers sign cards to be represented by a union, in most elections the union is defeated. Employers put serious money into “preventive labor relations” (stopping unions) because labor unions cost employers money and deny them the arbitrary freedom to fire “for a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all.” Coercive tactics (closed door meetings, threatened layoffs if the union wins, and firing of pro-union activists) scare most employees. Under the Employee Free Choice Act, unions will win collective bargaining rights if they collect a majority of employee signatures. (I’ve called both Senators Schumer and Clinton to urge them to take leadership on this issue. I’ve heard nothing back.). For more on the proposal click here On perhaps a more humorous note, Comedy Central writers on the left coast are now represented by the Writers Guild of America . East coast writers on such shows as The Daily Show & Colbert Report went union months ago.

In the absence of unions (or in the presence of neglectful or corrupt ones) employers take merciless advantage of their employees. A recent must-read (but 116 pages in print but 126 in pdf) report from NYU’s Brennan Center Unregulated Work In The Global City documents failure to pay wages, to comply with other aspects of labor law in many industries in New York City.

Under then Elliot Spitzer, the AG’s Office prosecuted many cases of bosses failing to pay wages, but did not stem the tide so far as I can tell. M. Patricia Smith, who as AAG headed the labor bureau and is now Labor Commissioner. Other than speaking to beleagured domestic workers, what’s her plan? My expectations of her are high, but a review of Labor Department’s announcements , shows me no sign that that agency has yet woken up from 12 years of Pataki sleeping pills. It takes longer than day one to make everything different at a complex agency like labor. You can read Nathan Newman’s excellent rundown of what some states are doing here .

Until honest unions win the Employee Free Choice Act, we will still need on the ground advocates for unpaid workers such as the Retail Action Project Solidarity Forever lyrics are here For the Seeger YouTube click here

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