LRB-1993/1
SRM:wlj:ph
2009 - 2010 LEGISLATURE
February 18, 2009 - Introduced by Senators Coggs, Decker, Hansen, Wirch,
Lehman, Miller, Sullivan, Taylor, Vinehout, Lassa, Erpenbach
and
Kreitlow. Referred to Committee on Labor, Elections and Urban Affairs.
SR5,1,1 1Relating to: memorializing Congress to enact the Employee Free Choice Act.
SR5,1,32 Whereas, in 1935, the United States established, by law, that workers must be
3free to form unions; and
SR5,1,64 Whereas, the freedom to form or join a union is internationally recognized by
5the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a fundamental human right;
6and
SR5,1,87 Whereas, the free choice to join with others and bargain for better wages and
8benefits is essential to economic opportunity and good living standards; and
SR5,1,119 Whereas, unions benefit communities by strengthening living standards,
10stabilizing tax bases, promoting equal treatment, and enhancing civic participation;
11and
SR5,1,1312 Whereas, states in which more people are union members are states with
13higher wages, better benefits, and better schools; and
SR5,2,214 Whereas, union workers receive better wages and benefits, with union workers
15earning 29 percent more than workers without a union, are 35 percent more likely

1to have access to health insurance, and are four times more likely to have access to
2a guaranteed defined-benefit pension; and
SR5,2,63 Whereas, unions help raise workers' pay and narrow the income gap for
4minorities and women, by increasing median weekly earnings by 31 percent for
5union women workers, 31 percent for African American workers, 50 percent for
6Latino workers, 9 percent for Asian American workers; and
SR5,2,107 Whereas, workers across the nation are routinely denied the freedom to form
8unions and bargain for a better life, with 25 percent of private-sector employers
9illegally firing at least one worker for union activity during organizing campaigns;
10and
SR5,2,1311 Whereas, 77 percent of the public believes it is important to have strong laws
12protecting the freedom for workers to make their own decision about having a union,
13and 58 percent of workers would join a union if they had the chance; and
SR5,2,1614 Whereas, employers often refuse to bargain fairly with workers after forming
15a union by dragging out first contract bargaining for up to two years in 45 percent
16of successful campaigns; and
SR5,2,2017 Whereas, each year millions of dollars are spent to frustrate workers' efforts to
18form unions, and most violations of workers' freedom to choose a union occur behind
19closed doors, with 78 percent of employers forcing employees to attend mandatory
20anti-union meetings; and
SR5,2,2321 Whereas, when the right of workers to form a union is violated, wages fall, race
22and gender pay gaps widen, workplace discrimination increases, and job safety
23standards disappear; and
SR5,3,3
1Whereas, a worker's fundamental right to choose a union free from coercion and
2intimidation is a public issue that requires public policy solutions, including
3legislative remedies; and
SR5,3,54 Whereas, the Employee Free Choice Act has been introduced in the U.S.
5Congress in order to restore workers' freedom to join a union; and
SR5,3,96 Whereas, the Employee Free Choice Act will safeguard workers' ability to make
7their own decisions with these abuses, provide for first contract mediation and
8arbitration, and establish meaningful penalties when employers violate workers'
9rights; now, therefore, be it
SR5,3,16 10Resolved by the senate, That the Wisconsin state senate supports the
11Employee Free Choice Act which would authorize the National Labor Relations
12Board to certify a union as the bargaining representative when a majority of
13employees voluntarily sign authorizations designating that union to represent them,
14which would provide for first contract mediation and arbitration, and which would
15establish meaningful penalties for violations of a worker's freedom to choose a union;
16and, be it further
SR5,3,19 17Resolved, That we urge Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act to
18protect and preserve for America's workers their freedom to choose for themselves
19whether or not to form a union.
SR5,3,2020 (End)
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