In early 2009, Congress embarked on a massive effort to enact
the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), legislation designed to
fundamentally transform union organizing. Commonly known as the
"card check" bill, EFCA's supporters in organized labor hoped its
passage would facilitate union organizing by favoring majority
sign-up procedures over the use of secret ballots in union
elections.
Despite a strong Democratic majority and President Obama's
support, EFCA supporters were unable to secure the votes necessary
to get the bill approved in the Senate. EFCA was defeated by a
strong lobbying campaign orchestrated by NRCA and other business groups aimed at
preserving the use of secret ballot elections, which a majority of
NRCA members believe are a
cornerstone of democracy benefiting employers and workers.
With Republicans now in control of the House of Representatives,
there is no chance Congress will approve EFCA or similar
legislation. However, EFCA supporters haven't given up their
objective of making union organizing easier; they now have turned
to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to achieve their goals
through smaller regulatory initiatives.
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