Last week, the Faces of the Employee Free Choice Act billboard kicked off with style in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Covered in an article by Seacoast Online, the purpose of the tour is to urge Senators Snowe and Collins to support the Employee Free Choice Act by showing the real-life workers behind the movement against worker intimidation.

Some of those 'faces' present at the rally on Wednesday in support of the Employee Free Choice Act were Paul O'Connor, President of the Metal Trades Council, and Kirk Miller, President of IFPTE Local 4, the local union of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Said Miller, to Seacoast Online, on why he and his fellow workers support the act:

"At the Shipyard most workers are represented by a union because they not only see the importance of having a voice in the workplace, but because the Navy, to their credit, does not stand in the way of the will of a majority or workers to have a union, if they so choose," said Kirk Miller, President of IFPTE Local 4 at the shipyard. "Sadly, this is not the case in the private sector, where hard working people who want to improve their working conditions are threatened and intimidated by their employers when they show an interest in forming a union."

Just as Maine's Veterans stand in support of the Employee Free Choice Act for what it can do to improve Maine's private sector economy, so do the people who build the ships they fight on. They all understand that a stronger workforce means a stronger middle class, which means a better economy for everyone, and that the ability to organize without intimidation is the first step.

Also present at the rally were two of the campaign's featured 'faces,' E.J. Russell and Cecile Martin, two workers from Maine who have been victims of employee harassment and intimidation while trying to organize unions. Said Paul O'Connor, President of the Metal Trades Council, of the opposition both faced while attempting to form unions:

"Cecille,almost 20 years ago and E.J. just last year. Both of them faced employer opposition, in both cases their employer sought to stop their efforts to form a union and bargain. It is because of stories like these that we are calling on our Congressional Delegation to support the Employee Free Choice Act."

Across the state, hard working Mainers and their families are stepping forward to voice their support for what Maine AFL-CIO president Ed Gorman calls "common sense legislation": the Employee Free Choice Act. By putting reasonable time limits on contract negotiations, and strengthening penalties against employers who attempt to intimidate workers who desire a union, the Employee Free Choice Act will put the power back where it belongs: in the hands of the workers who make our state great.

In addition to the statistics that prove the positive impact increased unionization will have on Maine's economy, stories from workers like Martin and Russell prove the need for increased protection from harassment provided by the Employee Free Choice Act.

Do your part: sign our petition to support the Employee Free Choice Act in Maine today: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/millionforfreech