This page pulls together PowerPoint presentations, articles and other teaching materials on the Employee Free Choice Act that have been written or developed by UALE members, and/or presented at the UALE Conference. Scroll down or click here to find the materials to download.
We have also included some links to other pages that have good information about the bill.
If you have developed any materials, or written any articles about this issue, we encourage you to send them to us for inclusion on this page.
New: We have just added a section of the page called "What You Can Do" Please let us know of other actions people can take.
PRESENTATIONS/RESEARCH
Scroll down the page and click on the appropriate red arrow to download the following presentations or reports:
- "Employee Free Choice Act Teach-Ins" Power Point presentation and "toolkit" (booklet of materials) produced by AFL-CIO, fall 2009. Visit www.EmployeeFreeChoiceAct.org for more informaiton and materials form AFL-CIO.
- "Family Friendly Workplaces: Do Unions Make a Difference?" by Jenifer MacGillvary, UCB Labor Center, and Netsy Firestein, Labor Project for Working Families. This report never actually mentions the Employee Free Choice Act, but it is full of facts about how unionized wiorkers receive more "family-friendly" benefits than their non-union counterparts.
- “The Employee Free Choice Act: Restoring America’s Middle Class and Returning Democracy to the Workplace,” Prof. Gordon Lafer, University of Oregon (PowerPoint document)
- Notes for “The Employee Free Choice Act: Restoring America’s Middle Class ...” (Microsoft Word document)
- "The Employee Free Choice Act: A Challenge for Labor Educators" Sheldon Friedman, AFLCIO (PowerPoint document)
- Three PowerPoint presentations used in an EFCA program at the UW School for Workers.
- Two presentations on lessons from Canada, by Asst. Prof. Sarah Slinn, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Canada
- A study by Robert Bruno on Illinois' experience with majority authorization (card check) in the public sector.
- A report by Bruce Nissen of Florida International University on the benefits of unionization in Florida
- "Academics on Employee Free Choice: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Labor Law", John Logan, ed.: a collection of papers from economic, legal and other perspectives.
- "No Holds Barred: The Intensification of Employer Opposition to Organizing" a Briefing paper by Kate Bronfenbrenner, put out by the Economic Policy Institute. This study details employer tactics, legal and illegal, to thwart union drives under today's labor law.
- "Majority Authorizations and Union Organizing in the Public Sector: A Four-State Perspective" Faculty affiliated with four major university-based labor education programs (University of Illinois, Rutgers University, Cornell University, and University of Oregon) collaborated on this study of their respective state laws mandating a majority authorization process for organizing employees in the public sector.
Links to other presentations:
- Labor Studies at Wayne State has developed a 20-minute to 2 hour EFCA training that -- with the changes of a few power point slides/handouts -- can be easily adapted to anywhere in the country. Because the power point includes video of three workers' stories, the zipped file is a bit big so it has not been uploaded here. To get a copy, request it from David Reynolds. You can also see a complete description of the materials at the Wayne State Labor Studies website.
- Prof. Marquita Walker of IUPUI describes delivering a petition supporting the Employee Free Choice Act signed by 80 Academics in Indiana to IL Sen. Evan Bayh. April 29, 200. On YouTube: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-6xfEne5f4&feature=channel_page>
- University of ME Labor Studies Bureau Director Bill Murphy speaks on EFCA at Blue Green Alliance Press Conference, June 11, on ME AFL-CIO Employee Free Choice Act Blog page: <http://employeefreechoice.typepad.com/me/2009/06/bill-murphy-speaking-at-blue-green-allianca-press-conference.html>
- Don Taylor of The School for Workers, U WI-Extension, explains the major points of EFCA on the Wisconsin AFL-CIO Employee Free Choice Act blog. Video clip. <http://employeefreechoice.typepad.com/wi/2009/07/institutional-ally-the-school-for-workers.html>
ARTICLES
"Labor Bill Would Protect Workers", Albuquerque Journal, Sunday Sept. 16, by Cameron Duncan, NLC
"Yes, Free Choice Act equals power", South Florida Sun-Sentinel, September 6, 2009, by Bruce Nissen, Florida Interbnational University
"Employee Free Choice Act: Echoing voices from labor’s past history", the (Brunswick, ME) Times Record, July 31, 2009, by Charles A. Scontras, Bureau of Labor Education at the University of Maine in Orono.
"If majority want union, let them have it", NWI.com (The Times, Northwest Indiana), July 4, 2009, by Robert Bruno
"Commentary: Why We Need the Employee Free Choice Act", the Berkeley Daily Planet, July 2, 2009, by John Logan
"Free Choice Act would restore balance", Centre Daily Times, State College, PA, June 27, 2009, by Paul Clark
"Choose to return power to workers", Lebanon (PA) Daily News, updated June 18, 2009, by Paul Clark
"Restoring the Right to Organize: Impacts of the Employee Free Choice Act" briefing paper put out by Bureau of Labor Education, University of ME, fall 2008 (This is a download, not a link. Scroll down the page and click on the arrow to download this article.)
"A War Against Organizing", Washington Post, June 3, 2009, by Kate Bronfenbrenner
"Act would boost American Dream", Missoula MT Missoulian, May 19, 2009
"Romney, Chamber PR Blitz Ignores New Study Showing Unions Don't Coerce Workers", Huffington Post, May 29, 2009, by Art Levine. (This article refers to two of the reports listed above: "Majority Authorizations and Union Organizing in the Public Sector: A Four-State Perspective" by Bruno et al, and "No Holds Barred", by Bronfenbrenner
"IUN teach-in mobilizes support for pro-union law", Post-Tribune, May 18 (about a Teach-in on the Employee Free Choice Act led by Ruth Needleman)
"EFCA Would Help Blacks Find Economic Recovery", Roll Call, April 21, 2009, by Steven Pitts
"Midlands Voices: Debate over EFCA shows stacked deck against labor" Omaha World Herald, April 17, by John Kretzschmar, University of Nebraska at Omaha
"The Employee Free Choice Act Can Help You Get a Raise" The Kansas City Star, Nov 6, 2008, by Judy Ancel
"Let Workers Choose How To Organize", Wisconsin State Journal, March 14, by David Nack (This is a download, not a link. Scroll down the page and click on the arrow to download this article.)
"Myths and Realities about the Employee Free Choice Act", Campaign for America's Future website, May 4, 2009, by John Logan
"Who Are Our Senators Representing on Employee Legislation?" The Herald Times, Bloomington, Ind., May 20, by Lynn Duggan (This is a download, not a link. Scroll down the page and click on the arrow to download this article.)
WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Write an Op Ed. Click here to download a page of guidelines for writing op eds. You can also contact Voice@Work for suggestions on target newspapers and contact information for them. University PR departments may also be able to help with that information.
- Sign the “Scholars in Support of the Employee Free Choice Act” statement at http://www.peri.umass.edu/sefca/, and encourage other academics to sign it.
- Organize your own statewide sign-on letters to senators, public forums and other activities.
LINKS
Web pages with more information and materials about the Employee Free Choice Act:
- AFL-CIO: www.EmployeeFreeChoiceAct.org
- American Rights at Work: www.americanrightsatwork.org
- U-Mass Political Economy Research Institute: http://www.peri.umass.edu/efca
Downloads
| Name | Description | Download | Edit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Academics on Employee Free Choice | Academics on Employee Free Choice: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Labor Law Reform" John Logan, ed. |  | |
| Bronfenbrenner: No Holds Barred | "No Holds Barred: The Intensification of Employer Opposition to Organizing", by Kate Bronfenbrenner, EPI Briefing paper | | |
| Bruno Study | Robert Bruno: A Study of Illinois’ Majority Interest Petition Provision 2003-2009 | | |
 | Duggan article | "Who Are Our Senators Representing on Employee Legislation?" by Lynn Duggan, | | |
| Employee Free Choice Act Teach Ins | Power Point Presentation and accompanying "Tool Kit" (booklet of materials) produced by AFL-CIO, fall 2009 | | |
 | Employee Free Choice Act Teach Ins | Power Point Presentation and accompanying "Tool Kit" (booklet of materials) produced by AFL-CIO, fall 2009 | | |
| Family-Friendly Workplaces | "Family-Friendly Workplaces: Do Unions Make a Difference?" by Jenifer MacGillvary, UCB Labor Center, and Netsy Firestein, Labor Project for Working Families | | |
| Friedman Presentation at UALE | Presentation at UALE conference by Sheldon Friedman | | |
| How to write Op Eds | Guidelines for submitting Op Eds | | |
| Hurd and Slinn: Employee Free Choice Act | Panel Presentation by Sarah Slinn and Richard Hurd (corresponding author) at UALE conference | | |
| Lafer Notes | Notes to go with G. Lafer's PowerPoint presentation | | |
| Lafer PowerPoint | PowerPoint presentation by Gordon Lafer | | |
| Lessons from Canada | Plenary Presentation at UALE conference by Sarah Slinn | | |
| Multistate EFCA | "Majority Authorizations and Union Organizing in the Public Sector: A Four-State Perspective" A joint research project of the labor programs at U IL, Rutgers, Cornell, & U OR | | |
| Nack article | David Nack: Let Workers Choose How to Organize | | |
| Nissen report | Bruce Nissen: Benefits of Unionization in Florida: Facts and Figures | | |
| Restoring the Right to Organize | Briefing paper put out by U ME Labor Studies Bureau | | |
| UW Presentation 1 | Declercq: Employee Free Choice Act, 1st presentation | | |
| UW Presentation 2 | DeClercq: Intro to labor law, 2d presentation | | |
| UW Presentation 3 | Taylor: EFCA Summary. 3d presentation | |
