As more and more working Americans struggle to make ends meet, the ability to form a union is key to the economic stability, health, and well-being of American families. According to a poll released by Hart Research last week, a substantial majority of Americans (73 percent) support the Employee Free Choice Act as part of the common sense solutions critical to economic recovery and rebuilding the middle class.

A new national TV campaign launched today by American Rights at Work in support of the Employee Free Choice Act continues the call to action that it's time our economy worked for everyone. The ads feature workers making their case for the legislation and focus on the fact that Employee Free Choice will grant working people the power to bargain for better wages, benefits and increased job security.

The spots will air for two weeks on national cable TV shows CNN, MSNBC, Comedy Central (during The Daily Show and The Colbert Report) and during the Sunday talk shows--hopefully reaching wide audiences to educate the public on why this legislation is such an intrinsic part of the hope and change the American people voted for on Election Day.

Watch the tv ads:

Ad #1 - "Hope and Change"

Ad Transcript:
Worker #1: I hope to have some health care...for a change.
Worker #2: I hope to work just one job....for a change.
Worker #3: I hope to be able to save a little....for a change.
Voice over: We voted on Election Day for hope and change. Now it's time for action. The Employee Free Choice Act lets workers choose to join a union to earn better pay, health benefits and job security...The Employee Free Choice Act. It's time the economy worked for everyone again.

Ad #2 - "We Don't Ask"

Ad Transcript:
Worker #1: We're not CEOs making millions.
Worker #2: We don't have golden parachutes or option plans.
Worker #3: What we have is our hands, our hearts and our work ethic.
Worker #4: We are America's workforce.
Worker #5: The men and women who keep our economy going.
Worker #6: All we ask for is a level playing field.
Voice over: The Employee Free Choice Act will let workers choose to form a union to get better pay, health benefits and job security... The Employee Free Choice Act. It's time the economy worked for everyone again.

Read more about the many ways the Employee Free Choice Act will help get our economy back on track.

SEIU Leader Shares First-hand Experiences Trying to Organize Detroit Fast Food Workers in the 1980s

In 1980, the United Labor Unions set out to organize employees at Detroit fast food chains in the hopes of sparking a nationwide movement to unionize the workforce in this fast-growing industry. As a rookie organizer working on the campaign, I learned firsthand what is at stake when workers stand up for better wages, healthcare, and a voice on the job.

We started with a Burger King franchise in Detroit's Greyhound station. While the drive was a challenge, the spark spread between employees as they encouraged each other to join the union and stand up to their managers. Greyhound Food Management ran a tough campaign to keep workers from organizing -- threatening some, making promises to others -- but didn't succeed. By a margin of just one vote, the Burger King employees opted to create a union.

Encouraged by our victory, we shifted our focus to three McDonald's franchises on Detroit's North Side. The employees were struggling with all kinds of issues -- minimum wage violations, sexual harassment, unfair scheduling, and health and safety issues ranging from grill burns to meat slicer injuries. Fed up and fired up, they decided to organize a union and won overwhelming support from their co-workers. Nothing could stop them.

Or so they thought.