More than 300 activists from 15 states converged on Capitol Hill on Thursday to tell their elected leaders that workers need and deserve meaningful labor law reform. The diverse group of small business owners, veterans, farmers, students, faith leaders, civil rights activists, women's advocates, and environmentalists are uniting in one voice to remind lawmakers why the Employee Free Choice Act is vital to rebuilding our economy.

New Chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, Senator Tom Harkin, kicked off the lobby day at a morning press conference with a speech to the state delegations. Senator Harkin shared a personal story of his brother fighting for union rights and confirmed his commitment to passing the Employee Free Choice Act, saying saying "When I tell you in unequivocal terms that the Employee Free Choice Act is a priority, you can take that to the bank!"

Watch highlights from Sen. Harkin's speech here:

The advocates from states including AK, ND, NE, MT, MO, WI, ME, PA, CO and CA also shared some reasons why they came to Washington--and why all progressives should support the Employee Free Choice Act.

"I am a small business owner here to help bring our message to Capitol Hill. We want justice for rural workers in North Dakota--they deserve proper pay for what they do. We want change in our working environment."

"I'm proud to be here with [all these] major activists from four major Pennsylvania cities...We want to stand for Free Choice. We are so financially strapped with workers in PA we had to have a paper flag here today--we couldn't afford to buy a cloth flag. We are here to fight for Employee Free Choice today."

"Everyone acknowledges the system is broken and justice delayed or justice deferred, is always in the end result, justice denied. We are here to provide justice for workers. All of those workers see very simply that as an issue of justice, the faith community really has to step up make it very clear the moral imperatives of this legislation."

Call the Senate now for Employee Free Choice.

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