If Employee Free Choice Were Law, Theo Jackson Would Still Have a Job
It is estimated that during an average unionization drive 25 percent of employers fire workers and fully 91% force employees to attend intimidating one-on-one meetings with their supervisors.
"America is supposed to be a place where when you work hard you can get ahead," said Theo Jackson, a Substance Abuse Case Manger in Scotts Valley, CA. "But I lost my job after I spoke out for a better life for my family and my co-workers."
"I loved my job--I helped adults with substance abuse problems.
"But we needed some changes at work--that's why we decided to unite with SEIU. Our pay was in the bottom five percent in our industry--nationwide. And our caseloads were too large to provide the care our patients needed. We often had to work off the clock before and after our shifts to complete charting and other paperwork--and then management would berate us for it.
"In three years, the centers clinical staff had seen 400 percent turnover.
"We wanted to form a union to ensure the best continued care for our patients and adequately support ourselves and our families.
"Nintey percent of us signed cards supporting the union--and we presented our petition to have an election. That's when management started taking us from our patient care duties to have one-on-one meetings with us to intimidate people from supporting the union.
"Management said all raises were frozen. They promised promotions to people who vote against the union. And they fired or forced out many of us who supported the union. When I talked to people they said they were scared to vote for the union--they didn't want to lose their jobs.
"Despite management's efforts to intimidate and harass people from supporting the union--we won our election in October 2008.
"Right after the election, I received a certified letter saying I had been terminated. I had never had a disciplinary action--I worked hard to provide my patients the best care possible. I was fired for supporting the union.
"But management refused to recognize the union. They filed objections with the National Labor Relations Board to try to continue to stall the process. It took another three months for the NLRB to investigate and dismiss the objections.
"In the meantime, a staff of 120 was down to 80. There were four case managers where there once were 11. Nurses had to work double shifts. Patients were not receiving the care they deserved.
"Last month, management finally agreed to sit down with workers to negotiate a contract. Workers are still waiting for a date to begin negotiations--management can still continue to stall the process for months.
"If the Employee Free Choice Act were law, things would have been different--I'd still have a job, we would have had the free choice to form a union without harassment and intimidation from management, and we would have been able to focus on providing our patients the care they deserve."
Watch Theo's first-hand testimony about why the Employee Free Choice Act is important to him:
To add your name to the petition to support Employee Free Choice Act, click here.
* Read about SEIU's Change That Works campaign.
* More information about the Employee Free Choice Act
