Yesterday, over 50 religious leaders from a diverse range of faiths and denominations came to Washington, DC to lobby members of Congress on support of the Employee Free Choice Act. The newly-formed coalition of religious leaders and people of faith--Faith Leaders for Workplace Fairness--publicly announced their support for the labor reform bill on a conference call with press last week, calling the legislation a "moral imperative" and a civil and human right.

The lobbying day begin with an early a.m. prayer breakfast at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center, where clergy, union members and political figures gathered to hear uplifting music sung by a multicultural choir, and pray for the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. "Unions are indispensable for a just social order," said Dr. Joseph Fahey, a Manhattan College religious studies professor and founder of Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice. "They are not something that just gains better wages and working conditions for workers---on a far wider level, we won't have a just social order unless we have unions to bring justice to workers and their families." The event featured speakers that included SEIU's Anna Burger, Rev. Sue Gaeta of the Gamaliel National Clergy Caucus and SEIU Virginia home care worker Athena Jones. Longtime labor supporter Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-Md.), also appeared at the breakfast to give a speech, telling the crowd that "the faith community has always been on the side of workers."

At the (tpress conference afterwards held with Sen. Tom Harkin he original sponsor of the legislation in the Senate), the senator called the Employee Free Choice Act "one of the real social justice issues of our time," expressing his determination to get legislation passed in 2009 that will restore balance and fairness to the organizing process. "For too long, our constitutional right to organize a union has been systematically undermined," said Harkin.

Watch faith leaders discuss why, more than ever, we need the Employee Free Choice Act to restore balance to economy and our society:

After the press conference, union members, workers and religious leaders dispersed to lobby their individual Members of Congress. During the lobby visits, religious leaders were able to have a face-to-face discussion about the legislation with newly-Democratic Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter--an exchange sponsoring organization Catholics for Working Families caught on tape. Watch a video clip of the exchange between Fr. Jack O'Malley and Sen. Specter.

Select photos from yesterday's event here. To join the campaign for workplace fairness, visit http://faithforworkplacefairness.org/

Today, the Politico debuted a special section online and in print about the Employee Free Choice Act. Asked what difference the Employee Free Choice would make, Stern responded, "It allows workers to negotiate with their employers. So when there are increases in productivity or increases in profits, [workers] get to share in the gain. They're clearly sharing in the pain right now, so the real issue is will they share in the gain? The Employee Free Choice Act gives them that chance."

SEIU President Andy Stern and the Chamber of Commerce's Steven Law take five questions in five minutes. Watch the Politico video here:

In The Arena, Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger explains why Congress should pass the Employee Free Choice Act through telling the story of Janneke Emery, a Washington state healthcare worker who, along with her coworkers, has struggled to gain a voice on the job.

Despite their election victory, a clear majority of support for the union and surviving an intense anti-union campaign, the hospital CEOs have denied Janneke and her coworkers the chance to sit down and bargain with their employer for a better workplace for themselves and their patients, and better lives for their families for over a year.

The Employee Free Choice Act gives workers the freedom to choose whether or not a union is right for their workplace, free from threats, intimidation by management, or even firing. The Act would mean bigger fines and harsher penalties for employers that violate the law.

Read Anna's entire response on Politico here. Check out Politico's special section on Employee Free Choice here.

Almost as soon as she begin her new job as a housekeeper at Jorgensen's motel, Amy Swanson knew that the workplace conditions she and her coworkers were subjected to were untenable. There was no access to affordable healthcare and her wages were pitifully low. She and the other employees of the Helena, Montana motel had no job security, and little to no say in what their schedules would be from week-to-week.

"I knew I had to speak out," said Amy, sharing her story at a congressional briefing held by the National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO) on Capitol Hill this morning. "Not only for my own family, but for my co-workers and future housekeepers who will work at Jorgensen's. There was no reason why my job had to be a job with low wages, no benefits and high turnover." Amy knew from past experience the best way to go about improving her workplace:

I already knew that workers could win by forming a union. Before I moved to Helena I worked in food service at Warm Springs State Hospital. Because we had a union we were able to win healthcare coverage, job security and wages that could support a family.

That's not asking for much. But for me it means everything. It means not staying up at night worrying about how I'm going to keep the electricity on and put food on the table. It means being able to take my daughter to the doctor when she is sick or just bring her in for a checkup.

Amy started talking to her co-workers about advocating for workplace standards, higher wages and respect on the job through forming a union. Once these discussions on gaining a voice at work were underway, the employers at Jorgensen's motel made it clear right away that they were not in favor of the idea, singling Amy out to try and intimidate the other housekeepers from supporting the union. They changed her work schedule so she could no longer always pick up her daughter after school. They cut her schedule from 40 hours between 20 and 25 hours per week--and then added more rooms to her daily cleaning schedule. She was under constant surveillance by management, which was hard to deal with, Amy says. "It was a very intimidating environment and it was clear they wanted me to quit, but that was not even an option for me to consider."

Employers routinely and flagrantly violate workers' rights when they try to form unions for a voice. Studies show that 25 percent of union organizing drives lead to employee firing, and that one out of every five workers who openly support a union are fired. Amy Swanson can attest to these facts firsthand, since it happened to her:

One week before my one-year anniversary, I was fired. I worked hard everyday to support my daughter, and I was fired for speaking out and trying to improve my job.

This should not happen in America.

Luckily I found another job a few weeks later as a food service worker at a school in Helena. The hours allow me to care for my daughter, but I still don't have a union and I can't afford the health coverage offered.

If enacted, the Employee Free Choice Act would allow workers to form unions without having to go through what Amy experienced. She and her coworkers would have had the free choice to form a union to improve their jobs and better support their families, without encountering employer resistance, intimidation or termination. They would have been able to win a contract that would Amy to provide for her daughter the life she deserves.

Read more about employer-based intimidation in the workplace here and why we need the Employee Free Choice Act.

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Amy Swanson is a Grassroots Lobbyist through SEIU's Change That Works campaign. You can read more about the program here.

With corporate interest groups going on the attack around the Employee Free Choice Act, workers are now speaking out about why they want to join a union and sharing stories about the employer resistance, intimidation and threat of termination they've encountered when trying to organize their workplace. "We are only asking for the right to make the decision about whether or not we want a union," says personal care attendant Paulette Ducre-Howard.

Under the Employee Free Choice Act, the choice of how to form a union, whether by majority sign-up or an election, would be put into the hands of workers--not corporations. With Employee Free Choice, we can rebuild this economy from the bottom up and give workers back the power to negotiate for better wages, benefits and working conditions.

Watch CNAs Trish Mishner and Regina Simmons, security guard Nick Old, and RN Mike Kingsbury sat down to share their stories about why the Employee Free Choice Act matters to them.

The Politico reports that tomorrow both houses of Congress will introduce the Employee Free Choice Act, which allows workers to decide for themselves how they'd like to form a union -- rather than management making that decision for them. It's critical legislation that would restore workers' freedom to form unions and bargain for better wages, health care, and working conditions.

Get involved in the effort today and sign up to get involved in the fight to give workers a voice in our economy.

For over a generation now, millions of working Americans have struggled to find a balance between work and family. The economic crisis our nation is experiencing has been particularly devastating for workers, giving the need to pass legislation that will help ease the burden on working families a renewed urgency.

"I know this hearing is about good family policies but everything comes back to money, something nobody seems to have enough of these days," said Rebia Mixon Clay, SEIU member and homecare worker from Chicago, in her testimony this morning before the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. Clay joined labor relations experts, economists, and workers' advocates in today's Capitol Hill hearing to explore family-friendly policies, such as grants that support state paid leave programs, expansions to the Family and Medical Leave Act, and paid sick days in tough financial times.

In a recession where men are losing their jobs at a much faster rate than women, women are increasingly becoming the main--or sole--breadwinners of the household. And the fact remains that women still consistently earn less than men (roughly 80 cents to every dollar), which means that women and families are simply making do on less.

Although more than 60 percent of private-sector workers already have access to paid sick days, lower income workers are much less likely to be offered paid sick leave. Clay told the Subcommittee that that although she is paid for only eight hours of work, taking care of her brother with cerebral palsy is a full time job and that she frequently had to choose between a paycheck - the only income in her household - and taking care of her dying husband. "I couldn't afford to take any unpaid time off to focus on my husband, because the three of us were surviving only on my income."

More than ever, workers like Reba cannot afford to lose a job due to work/family balance challenges. "There are people like me in every town across this country, people who are working hard and doing their best to provide for their families. Our stories are different but our hope is the same - that you help give us change that works. We cannot fix everything overnight but we can't give up."

Read Rebia's full testimony here.

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Reba currently serves on the Executive Board of her local, SEIU Healthcare Illinois & Indiana and is one of SEIU's member lobbyists here on Capitol Hill, speaking to lawmakers about creating change that works for their families and communities--affordable healthcare for all, the freedom to form a union, and an economy that works for everyone--not just those at the top.

Pictured, from left to right: Theo Jackson, Mike Kingsbury, Dana Graham, Thurman Johnson, Toni Piechowski, Cheryl Moon, Jerry Thompson, Rebia Mixon.

Nine SEIU members and workers from key states across the country have relocated to Washington, DC for a three-month long stint as a grassroots lobbyist on Capitol Hill.

This week, members are heading to Congressional offices to represent the working people in their state, and impress upon staff the importance of the economic stimulus bill (which is currently in conference). They also praised legislators for passing SCHIP and the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act with cards and personal face-to-face thank you's.

The current cohort of SEIU member lobbyists will be followed by a second wave this summer, continuing through August. Each member will be speaking to lawmakers about creating change that works for their families and communities--affordable healthcare for all, the freedom to form a union, and an economy that works for everyone--not just those at the top.

Each of these people have traveled far from their homes and their families to tell their story. Whether they were fired for trying to form a union, have recently retired, or struggle to afford healthcare for themselves or their families, these workers are sharing their stories so that Members of Congress understand what it's like to be a worker today. We'd like to introduce you to a few of these wonderful people each week, starting with Theo Jackson and Mike Kingsbury.

Mike Kingsbury is an RN hailing from Denver, Colorado and will be one of our regular guest bloggers. He's been an active member of the Nurse Alliance of Colorado for many years and also worked with SEIU on the Obama campaign.

Theo Jackson was a dedicated case manager--and a two-time Employee of the Month--at a substance abuse recovery center in Scotts Valley, CA before being fired for trying to form a union with SEIU Local 521. Theo's wrongful firing case is currently pending before the NLRB, and he is helping his colleagues continue to fight for a first contract. He was one of five workers to share his story last week at the Employee Free Choice Act rally on the Hill to urge Congress to support the legislation.

As our member lobbyists head inside the gilded halls of Congress each day and meet with key legislative staff and attend Hill briefings, hearings and demonstrations, they'll be capturing their experiences on video and in blog posts.

Stay tuned for updates, as our members report to us on what they're hearing about health care, the Employee Free Choice Act and restoring economic strength to Main Street.

Thousands of union members and allies gathered on Capitol Hill today to kick off the delivery of 1.5 million signatures in support of the Employee Free Choice Act to members of Congress.

Senator Tom Harkin, Congressman George Miller, union members, and progressive organizations joined the workers to showcase the widespread public support for the legislation that will give workers back the freedom to bargain for better wages and benefits.

"The right to organize is a basic human right and no one should be able to take that away," said Sen. Harkin, speaking out about why this legislation is so important for workers and making our economy work for everyone-not just those at the top.

[...] "Unions made the middle class. Don't believe me? Look up 'middle class' in the dictionary and you'll see it says 'see unions,'" joked Sen. Harkin.

Head of the United Steel Workers Leo Gerard acted as master of ceremonies, introducing other labor leaders including SEIU's Andy Stern, CWA President Larry Cohen and the AFL-CIO's John Sweeney.

But the main focus of today's rally was union members from all different sectors who came to Washington, DC to give first-hand testimony about their efforts to form a union--workers who've been harassed, intimidated, and fired from their jobs for trying to improve their working conditions, wages, and benefits by forming a union.

"I'm putting a face on all of the members," SEIU's Theo Jackson told a reporter before sharing his story first at today's rally. Jackson was a case manager--and a two-time Employee of the Month--at a substance abuse recovery center in Scotts Valley, CA before being fired for trying to form a union. "When companies do something, nobody knows, they want the people who get fired to slink away in shame. The very next day, I was in front of the gate, waving at the executive director." (Read Theo's story here)

We heard from Theresa Gars, a New Jersey school bus driver: "I don't think any worker out there is a dime a dozen," she said, speaking of her employers threats that she and her coworkers could--and would--be easily replaced if they were to form a union with TWA. "There's no reason to be scared when you're standing up for something you believe in," she said, eliciting a huge cheer from fellow rally attendees.

Acela Espiritu, an RN from California, took the podium to speak about her successful organizing campaign with AFSCME at an Orange County Kaiser Permanente facility and the benefits that both employees and management gained from having a union. "This is not a Republican-Democrat issue," Espiritu said. "It is an American issue. Passing Employee Free Choice equals worker empowerment."

Watch video highlights from this rally:

Vice President Biden has gone on the record about the timeline for passing the Employee Free Choice Act, saying it will happen this calendar year. But corporate lobbyists are mounting an unrelenting campaign to defeat this bill and we need your grassroots power to fight back and push for the passage of Employee Free Choice Act. In order to accomplish this, the Million-Member Mobilization Campaign has set a new goal: 2 million signatures before Congress goes on its February break.

Join the movement by adding your name to the petition to support Employee Free Choice Act .

To view more photos from the petition delivery rally this afternoon, visit SEIU's Flickr page.

Update: This event is taking place today, February 4th, at 12:30.

Over the past year, organizations and supporters of the freedom to form unions have carried out a national campaign to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. Today, thousands of workers from across the country will gather on Capitol Hill to deliver 1.5 million signatures in support of the pending legislation to members of Congress. Activists from the nation's unions and other progressive organizations will join workers in the rally to showcase the broad public support for the bill.

Workers from across the nation will tell their personal stories about what's wrong with our current system and why the Employee Free Choice Act is necessary to help fix it. One of the workers who will speak at the rally is Theo Jackson , who worked as a case manager at a substance abuse recovery center in Scotts Valley, CA for more than three years before being fired for trying to form a union with SEIU. Theo is just one of the thousands of ordinary workers who are harassed, threatened or terminated each year for trying to exercise their basic freedom to form a union and bargain for a better life. (Read Theo's story here)