We all remember the story of Chicken Little-and why wouldn't we? She was a one-trick chicken: "The sky is falling!" she would proclaim, in response to any situation, and to anyone who would listen.

Well, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) have adapted Chicken's strategy. When confronted with legislation to improve American workers' lives, the Chamber and NAM invariably threaten economic ruin and rampant government control.

The problem is, their predictions have never come true. Consider their records:

On fair pay for women: NAM opposes the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to strengthen women's ability to challenge pay discrimination.

On rights for people with disabilities: When the Americans with Disabilities Act was being debated back in 1989, the Chamber opposed it, saying, "Small businesses simply do not have the money in the bank"

On minimum wage increases: NAM opposed a proposal to increase the federal minimum wage from $5.15/hour in 2000. In 2007, the Chamber also opposed increasing the minimum wage, claiming that "Even this modest increase will hurt free enterprise."

On guaranteed family medical leave: The Chamber opposed the FMLA back in 1991, claiming, "We think most Americans don't want the federal government to be their personnel administrators."

NAM and the Chamber are recycling many of the same, tired arguments as they lobby hard against the Employee Free Choice Act on Capitol Hill this week.

It's no surprise that corporate CEOs are resorting to these tactics. Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott admitted the real reason the Chamber and their friends oppose the Employee Free Choice Act-"We like driving the car and we're not going to give the steering wheel to anybody but us."

So next time you hear these Chicken Little claims, remember they seldom add up.

Sometimes actions speak a lot louder - and truer - than words.

Here's an example...

The corporations and their front groups that oppose the Employee Free Choice Act say that the use of arbitration to help workers and companies reach agreements will hurt business and put federal bureaucrats in charge.

That's what they say.

Now here's what they do: in fact, companies use arbitration all the time to resolve disputes because they like that it's fast, fair, and inexpensive.

It turns out that the corporate rhetoric on the Employee Free Choice Act's arbitration provisions is simply another example of misinformation they're spreading about the bill.

Here's what the Employee Free Choice Act does: it gives both workers and companies the option of requesting an independent, private-sector arbitrator to help reach a fair agreement.

No one's really opposed to arbitration as a process. It's used all the time. The anti-employee free choice corporations and their front groups are just opposed to workers having the option to use it to help reach fair agreements. That's a tough position to defend publicly, so it gets disguised as concern about "hurting business" and putting "bureaucrats in charge."

Corporate opposition and misinformation on this is not surprising. Today, even when a majority of workers say they want to form a union, companies can refuse to negotiate a first agreement, or stall and use other tactics to delay the process for years. One third of workers who form a union lack an agreement one year later and 28 percent of the time companies refuse to negotiate at all.

By giving workers and companies the option of requesting an independent, private-sector arbitrator, workers who make the majority decision to form a union are able to secure an agreement without delays or stall tactics -- and companies are guaranteed provisions that match industry standards to ensure competitiveness.

Ensuring that workers have the freedom to form unions and negotiate contracts with their employers is a key way workers are able to share in the prosperity they help create and win a stronger voice in the services they provide.

Claims by corporate interest groups that the Employee Free Choice Act is losing support and won't be voted on simply ignore the facts. President Obama and Congress are committed to rebuilding America's middle class through quick passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.

One of the first actions of the Senate was the introduction of The Middle Class Opportunity Act of 2009 (pdf)--laying out the top priorities for this year. Among other goals aimed at creating an economy that works for everyone, the bill affirms the Senate's commitment to "restoring fairness, prosperity, and economic security for working families by ensuring workers can exercise their rights to freely choose to form a union without employer interference"

On Fox News Sunday, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer expressed confidence that Employee Free Choice will pass by the early spring. Watch his interview here.

President-elect Obama reiterated his support for the legislation in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times. He said, "I have consistently said that I want to strengthen the union movement in this country and put an end to the kinds of barriers and roadblocks that are in the way of workers legitimately coming together in order to form a union and bargain collectively." You can read the full interview here.

Congress' commitment to creating change for working families is already evident with the House taking up the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (pdf) and the Paycheck Fairness Act (pdf).

Under the Employee Free Choice Act, workers' freedom to choose to form a union would be restored.

But many reporters, lawmakers, and pundits continue to call the legislation "card check"--missing the fundamental democratic principles of the legislation: that when a majority of workers choose to form a union to improve their jobs and support their families, they should be able to do so without fear of employer harassment and intimidation.

Whether in email, on the phone, or with friends, remembering to refer to the legislation as the Employee Free Choice Act helps reinforce the idea that workers, not corporations, should be the ones who decide how to form a union.

Under current law, employers can insist that workers hold an election, even after a majority have signed cards supporting the union. More than 94 percent of companies then launch campaigns against the workers. Companies force workers into intimidating one-on-one sessions with their supervisors and 25 percent even fire union supporters (University of Illinois at Chicago).

That's the way Corporate America wants to keep it.

The New York Times hit the nail on the head when it called for swift passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. In thoughtful analysis of workers' role in an economic recovery, The Times wrote:

The measure is vital legislation and should not be postponed. Even modest increases in the share of the unionized labor force push wages upward, because nonunion workplaces must keep up with unionized ones that collectively bargain for increases. By giving employees a bigger say in compensation issues, unions also help to establish corporate norms, the absence of which has contributed to unjustifiable disparities between executive pay and rank-and-file pay.

The Times understands that ensuring workers have the freedom to form unions is vital to rebuilding our middle class. Workers in unions earn 30 percent higher wages and are 59 percent more likely to have employer provided health coverage.

President-elect Obama and the new Congress should act with urgency to pass the Employee Free Choice Act to ensure that workers, and not just CEOs, can benefit from the economic progress they help create.

Read the full editorial here.

P.S. Know someone else who should receive our updates on the Employee Free Choice Act? Tell your colleagues to sign up for these updates on this page: http://freechoice.seiu.org/page/s/freechoiceupdate

Here's an update from SEIU President Andy Stern and Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger regarding efforts to get our economy back on track.

Big Business is working overtime ... not to help get our troubled economy get back on track, but to prevent American workers from freely being able to join unions and bargain for better wages, health benefits and job security.

We see it with the fifteen year long struggle by workers at Smithfield in North Carolina, who overcame employer threats and intimidation - including illegal firing of union supporters -- and recently voted for a union. And we see it in the latest round of false and misleading advertising, by corporate special interests who want to maintain their power to keep wages and benefits as low as possible by lobbying to stop Congress from passing the Employee Free Choice Act.

To set the record straight, American Rights at Work, a nonprofit advocacy organization, recently launched a series of "Fact Check" print ads which have appeared in The Hill, Roll Call, Politico, and the National Journal' s Daily Congress AM. These ads counter the lies and half-truths with the real facts about how the Employee Free Choice Act is a vital part of rebuilding our country's middle class in order to revitalize our shaken economy.

Here are some of the facts:

• Workers in unions earn 30% higher wages and are 59% more likely to have employer-provided health insurance (www.bls.gov).
• 68% of middle class Americans would like their Members of Congress to vote for the Employee Free Choice Act (www.drummajorinstitute.org).
• During union organizing campaigns, over 94% of employers resist their workers' efforts to form unions, and 25% even fire union supporters (University of Illinois at Chicago).

And to those wondering about big business' alleged concerns about preserving workers' right to a secret ballot, rest easy: The Employee Free Choice Act does NOT eliminate the right to a secret ballot election. What it does is leaves the decision on whether to have an election with the workers, where it belongs.

The ads can be viewed at the links below.

* First ad

* Second Ad

In conjunction with American Rights at Work's Fact Check campaign, SEIU's Change That Works campaign has begun sending email communications to share important information about why the time for Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act is now.

Please send this link http://freechoice.seiu.org/page/s/freechoiceupdate to your friends so they can sign up to get the Facts and stay informed about the Employee Free Choice Act.

THE FACTS

The latest ad from Americans for Job Security, a corporate front group that has already spent millions to deny workers a voice on the job, attempts to mislead the public about the Employee Free Choice Act and the 2 million members of SEIU.

At a time when most Americans are concerned about putting food on the table, keeping their jobs, paying for healthcare, and paying for their children's education, Americans for Job Security and their anonymous corporate donors continue to stand in the way of real solutions for our economy.

Their misleading campaign based on fear and false facts did not work during the election and it will not stop President-elect Obama and the new Congress from enacting the change that allows workers to share in the prosperity of their companies.

With CEOs making 344 times the average worker and winning huge bailouts from taxpayers, they will say anything to stop workers from being able to share in the prosperity workers help create.

"This attack against working people from a business-funded front group is a desperate attempt to distract from what really matters," says SEIU National Political Director Jon Youngdahl, faulting the ad. "America's families need change that works to rebuild the middle class with the free choice to join unions for better wages, benefits, and retirement security. That's why we need the Employee Free Choice Act."

Corporate America has shown just how out of touch they are with America's economic problems. They believe that the problem with our economy is that workers are paid too much and that their wages should be cut. For working families already struggling to make ends meet, that's the last thing they should have to worry about.

:30 "Payback"
Transcript

"He's the corrupt Illinois Governor charged with trying to sell a senate seat.
They're the union the Washington Post connects to the Governor discussing the payoff.
The union bosses spent $85 million to elect pro-union Democrats to the Senate.
The payback? Taking from workers the right to a secret ballot.
A bailout for union bosses. Payback for their support.
Call Senators Dorgan and Conrad.
Tell them to say "no" to the union boss bailout.
Americans for Job Security is responsible for the content of this advertising."

Claim	The Facts
They're the union the Washington Post connects to the Governor discussing the payoff.	This is a misleading claim. Neither in The Washington Post or official legal documents is there any allegation about a payoff being discussed between Blagojevich and SEIU. Nowhere has it been suggested that an SEIU official offered to help "sell" a Senate seat.
The union bosses spent $85 million to elect pro-union Democrats to the Senate.	The ad cites a Washington Post article "Labor Leaders Stress Unions' Importance for Obama" (8/29/08). But the article explains that SEIU spent $85 million on the entire election cycle. The article does not specify how the $85 million was used. SEIU members support pro-working family candidates through voluntary contributions, many as small as $3 a month.
The payback? Taking from workers the right to a secret ballot.	The Employee Free Choice Act does not eliminate a worker's right to a secret ballot. The law simply gives workers, not corporations, the freedom to choose how to form a union. Workers can choose to have a secret ballot election if they want one. (http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/employee-free-choice-act/resource-library/lies--distortion-on-the-secret-ballot-20080730-596-84-84.html) Today, when a majority of workers sign cards saying they want to form a union, the employer can refuse to abide by this majority decision and call for an election that delays the process for months. During that time, managers and supervisors often fire, threaten, and intimidate employees who support forming a union. By the time an election is held, many workers are too scared of management retaliation to cast their vote freely. 51% of employers illegally threaten to close down a worksite when employees try to join together to form a union. 30% unlawfully fire workers who support forming a union as a way of intimidating others. 91% force employees to attend intimidating one-on-one meetings with their supervisors. In the current company-dominated system, workers who ask for a union election don't get a chance to vote in four out of 10 cases. And even when workers win an election, after two years only 20% are able to secure a contract. (http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/employee-free-choice-act/resource-library/lies--distortion-on-the-secret-ballot-20080730-596-84-84.html) (http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/publications/statistics/91.html)
A bailout for union bosses. Payback for their support.	This election was about electing a president who will fix our economy and rebuild it stronger, and fairer, for the future -- an economy where hard work means you can make a good living and fulfill your dreams instead of treading water or falling behind. Today CEOs take home 344 times more than workers on average. President-elect Obama has been very clear in his support for creating an economy that works for everyone, not just a few at the top. The Employee Free Choice Act provides a non-governmental solution that is needed to restore the middle class and stop the growing gap between the wealthy and the rest of us. The Employee Free Choice Act has long been supported by President-elect Obama, Vice-President-elect Biden and a bipartisan majority in Congress. (www.govtrack.us) More than half of all workers say they would join a union tomorrow if they could and 60 percent of Americans support Employee Free Choice. (www.americanrightsatwork.org)

Bush Advisor Now Frontman for Big Business Push to Maintain Bush Economic Agenda

On December 9th, the Washington Post quoted Mark McKinnon on the Employee Free Choice Act. What the Post failed to mention is that McKinnon is an advisor and spokesman for the Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI), a big business front group formed months ago solely to fight the Employee Free Choice Act. (An outcry from Post readers and commentators led to the Post publishing a correction.)

Anti-Free Choice = Mark McKinnon = George W. Bush

It makes perfect sense that McKinnon would blow smoke about the Employee Free Choice Act.

Before being hired as WFI's spokesman, McKinnon was a key member of Bush's inner circle, serving as Bush's chief media strategist in his 2000 and 2004 campaigns. McKinnon helped Bush champion the irresponsible policies that have led to our current economic meltdown.

Like President Bush, Mark McKinnon opposes a bill that gives workers a fair and simple path to form unions, put money in their pockets and help drive our economic recovery.

As goes Bush, so goes McKinnon.

Hindering the Change Our Country Needs

Mark McKinnon helped elect a President whose policies have hurt America's middle class and led our country into the worst economic free fall since the Great Depression.

Now, he's working on behalf of corporate America in their efforts to deter the change our economy needs to get back on track.

By opposing the Employee Free Choice Act, Mark McKinnon and his corporate friends hope to block a key step toward restoring America's economic prosperity.

That's NOT the change America voted for.

In Solidarity,

Jon Youngdahl
SEIU Political Director
Change that Works Campaign

P.S. Know someone else who should receive our updates on the Employee Free Choice Act? Tell your colleagues to sign up for these updates on this page: http://freechoice.seiu.org/page/s/freechoiceupdate

Did you hear about the corporate CEOs who just agreed that paying themselves 344 times more than their workers was hurting our economy by undermining consumer spending power - and have decided to reduce their pay and offer workers a raise and better benefits?

That's the question posed in "The Boardroom," a national television ad in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act that was just aired for three weeks by American Rights at Work, a broad coalition of labor and workers' rights advocates, including SEIU.

Of course, in the ad -- as in reality -- it's a dream.

In the ad, the worker who dreams it all wakes up in his bed while the narrator says, "If you think this is going to happen by itself, you're dreaming. The Employee Free Choice Act will let workers choose to join a union and negotiate for better wages and benefits."

If you haven't had a chance to see the ad, click here.

Are CEOs really concerned about protecting workers' democratic rights?

Hardly. Most CEOs don't want to give workers the freedom to decide for themselves whether to join together for a voice at work. It's not surprising, especially when you consider that CEOs are now paying themselves an average of 344 times more than workers.

The corporate misinformation campaign is already running strong--spreading lies and distortions about the Employee Free Choice Act. One blatant mischaracterization suggests that this common sense proposal is somehow a "radical" change to federal labor law. In fact, the Employee Free Choice Act reflects long-standing American principles of balance, choice and fairness in the workplace and restores protections for workers that have been eroded over time.

Here's an update about the legislation (below), courtesy of Jon Youngdahl, SEIU Political Director, Change that Works Campaign.

P.S. Know someone else who should receive our updates on the Employee Free Choice Act? Tell your colleagues to sign up for these updates on this page: http://freechoice.seiu.org/page/s/freechoiceupdate

---

On Wednesday, December 3rd, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm released a statement calling for the quick passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Governor Granholm called the legislation a "vital part of an effective economic recovery program" because "American workers provide critical fuel for the engine of economic growth." Governor Granholm also highlighted the incoming administration's commitment to signing the bill into law. Read SEIU President Andy Stern's statement on Governor Granholm's support here.

Governor Granholm's statement was punctuated by the release of the latest unemployment numbers today - even more bad news for working families. 533,000 U.S. jobs were lost in the last month alone, the biggest drop recorded in 34 years according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The latest news isn't unexpected, but pressure is on Congress to take steps to fixing our broken economy. Now, more than ever, it's clear that we need solutions that work for the millions of middle class Americans who have lost their jobs or worry that they'll be next.

Over the past three decades, our economy has grown. But most of the benefits have gone to the wealthiest Americans, while middle class families have seen their wages flat-line or decline. One thing is clear: restoring our middle class is the key to getting our economy back on track. And one of the best ways to help American families improve their standard of living is to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. By offering workers a fair and simple path to forming unions, workers will have the opportunity to earn better wages and benefits. Workers in unions earn 30% higher wages and are 59% more likely to have employer-provided health insurance.

Below is our assessment of the Employee Free Choice Act in an economic context for your reference.

---

An Economy That's Out of Balance

In the post-war period, workers' incomes were tied to productivity - America's business did better and workers shared in the success they helped create. And we built the biggest and strongest middle class in the world. But in recent years, productivity has continued to increase, while wages have flat-lined. Corporate profits and CEOs have benefited, but middle class household incomes have declined. In the last eight years, real median household income declined by more than $1,000 while corporate profits nearly doubled. Yet in 2007, "CEOs of large public companies averaged 344 times the average pay of workers." (NYT 9/18/08).

Consumer Demand in A Slump

The stagnant incomes of America's middle class are causing a fall off in consumer spending at a time when our economy needs it the most. Consumer spending is the engine that drives the American economy, representing more than 70% of total U.S. demand. Restoring the wages - and the spending power - of working families has got to be part getting our economy back on track.

Creating an Economy that Works for Everyone

Historically, unions have helped build a strong middle class and a stable American economy based on high wages. Over the past 30 years, as union membership has declined, workers' wages have fallen behind as the wealthiest Americans captured almost all of the gains our economic growth. The result is that our current economy - based on debt - is unstable. Encouraging unionization to increase average American's earning - and thus spending - power will restore our middle class and help revitalize our economy.

The Employee Free Choice Act is an integral part of restoring America's struggling middle class and creating an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. A strengthened middle class with greater earning - and spending -- power is a key to building a sustainable economy.

Here's an update about the legislation (below), courtesy of SEIU President Andy Stern and Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger. This update is the first in a series of updates regarding efforts to get our economy back on track.

Overwhelming bipartisan support for the Employee Free Choice Act

The Employee Free Choice Act is bipartisan federal legislation that would give America's workers a fair and simple path to form unions so they have the opportunity to earn better pay, benefits and improved working conditions. The legislation would restore the rights of workers to form a union in their workplace by signing cards stating that they want a union.

Workers had the right to choose this majority sign up process for decades until the Supreme Court ruled in 1974 that employers could refuse to honor that choice. This bill also helps workers secure a contract in a reasonable period of time and toughens penalties against employers who violate the law.

The Employee Free Choice Act is an overwhelmingly popular piece of legislation that is critically important for our country's economic recovery. Over 60% of the American public supports the bill, as do President-elect Obama, Vice-President-elect Biden, and a bipartisan majority of Congressional members.

Unions will help restore America's middle class and strengthen our economy.

The Employee Free Choice Act is an integral part of restoring America's struggling middle class and creating an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. From 2000 - 2007, real median household income declined by more than $1,000 (PDF) while corporate profits nearly doubled. Meanwhile, workers in unions earn 30% higher wages and are 59% more likely to have employer-provided health insurance.

Don't believe the hype from big business. The Employee Free Choice Act does NOT eliminate workers' right to have a secret ballot election.

Big corporations and their lobbyists have already launched a campaign of disinformation to defeat the bill. They've incorrectly portrayed the Employee Free Choice Act as eliminating workers' rights to a secret ballot election. This claim is absolutely FALSE.

Currently, corporations, not workers, control the process on how workers form unions -- and can stack the deck in their favor. Even when a majority of workers sign cards saying they want to form a union, the company can legally force workers to go through the process all over again months later. During that time, many companies fire, harass, or intimidate workers who support a union. During the election process, over 90% of private sector employers resist their workers' efforts to form unions, according to Cornell University research, and a quarter even illegally fire union supporters.

The Employee Free Choice act allows workers to form a union when a majority of workers sign cards authorizing the union--putting the choice of how to form a union, whether by majority sign-up or an election, in the hands of workers, not corporations.

Since 2003, more than half a million Americans formed unions through majority sign-up - including workers at companies like Kaiser Permanente, Harley Davidson, and AT&T. There are also currently laws in thirteen (13) states that give groups of public and private employees the right to form unions through the majority sign-up process, including California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Oregon.

---

P.S. If you'd like more information about the Employee Free Choice Act or wish to speak to someone at SEIU about the bill, please email seiu.updates@gmail.com.