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Friday, October 31, 2008 12:53 PM Proposed union bill worries business By Laura Keeter | Times Staff Writer Bridgestone-Firestone officials are concerned about the impact of the Employee Free Choice Act if passed by Congress and signed into law. The act would eliminate a secret balloting process that could lead to unionizing workers. Jim Pridgen, plant manager of the Wilson Bridgestone Firestone plant, and Timothy Neville, a Florida-based Bridgestone official, talked about the proposed legislation and its possible implications Thursday during a Wilson Chamber of Commerce "Lunch Link" meeting. The Wilson Firestone plant has 1,700-plus employees and has remained union-free for 35 years. Currently, if union organization is attempted, the union has to get signatures of 30 percent of the workforce to hold an election. Prior to the election, both the union and the company run their campaigns. They tell workers their respective sides of how workers would benefit by voting in or keeping out the union. In the election, workers can vote for or against the union, regardless of whether they signed a union authorization card. And even if a union is voted in, a contract is not always signed. Under the proposed legislation, a union could be ushered in if 51 percent of the workforce signs union authorization cards, making the cards binding. Once enough cards are signed, the union and company would have to begin negotiations in 10 days that lead to an agreement, even if it's through mediation and arbitration, under the proposed act. To companies, arbitration means someone else is going to be telling them how to run their business, Neville said. "The way the act is presented right now, if 50 percent plus one of our people sign a card, they can present it to Mr. Pridgen and say, 'Jim, you now have a union,'" Neville said. "It's as simple as that." The process would go right from card-signing to "Congratulations, you're now represented by the United Steelworkers Union." "Scary," he said. What concerns Bridgestone officials the most is the smaller units, he said. Mathematically, to unionize the Wilson tire making plant, a union would need 851 signatures. "What concerns (Bridgestone officials) is those smaller units," Neville said. "The majority of our units are in that 10- to 20-team member plants," such as tire wheel assembly. The Employee Free Choice Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2007 and was tabled by the U.S. Senate, which could review the law in 2009. This is why union organization activity has been light this year, Neville said. It's expensive for unions to run a campaign, and it's possible after February, they'll be able to operate under the Employee Free Choice Act. The proposed act imposes new penalties on employers, such as up to $20,000 in fines if their management members violate the National Labor Relations Act. Penalties do not apply to union organizers, he said. In January, some Bridgestone plants, including the one in Wilson, will show a seven-minute video to employees that will list highlights of the federal legislation, Neville said. The National Labor Relations Act, in effect since 1935, already offers certain protection for workers, Neville said. With OSHA and other regulations now in place to protect workers, "What's left for unions to protect?" Neville asked. Neville answered his rhetorical question with a simple answer -- bad management. Many companies have "Mr. Stupid" stories, he said. These are stories about supervisors with bad behaviors. They may call a worker stupid for not being able to fix a machine or dish out other insults. Those people are short-lived at Bridgestone, but one "Mr. Stupid" supervisor can motivate workers to unionize in a hurry. "If we take care of our team members, they'll take care of us," Neville said. keeter@wilsontimes.com | 265-7817 |
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Que Sera said...
The Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800, S. 1041), supported by a bipartisan coalition in Congress, would enable working people to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions by restoring workers’ freedom to choose for themselves whether to join a union. It would: Establish stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations. Provide mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes. Allow employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation. This is important: Strengthen penalties for companies that illegally coerce or intimidate employees in an effort to prevent them from forming a union; Brings in a neutral third party to settle a contract when a company and a newly certified union cannot agree on a contract after three months; Establishes majority sign-up, meaning that if a majority of the employees sign union authorization cards, validated by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a company must recognize the union.
Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:22 PM
The Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800, S. 1041), supported by a bipartisan coalition in Congress, would enable working people to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions by restoring workers’ freedom to choose for themselves whether to join a union. It would: Establish stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations. Provide mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes. Allow employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation. This is important: Strengthen penalties for companies that illegally coerce or intimidate employees in an effort to prevent them from forming a union; Brings in a neutral third party to settle a contract when a company and a newly certified union cannot agree on a contract after three months; Establishes majority sign-up, meaning that if a majority of the employees sign union authorization cards, validated by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a company must recognize the union.
Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:22 PM
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