The Tompkins County Legislature, by a bi-partisan vote of 12 to 3, has approved a resolution urging Congressional support for the Employee Free Choice Act. The bill, which requires union recognition by the employer upon either the signature of a majority of workers of written authorizations (cards) or by secret ballot majority vote, is currently pending in Congress. Under the bill, the choice of recognition process is, unlike under the current law, up to the union to decide.

 Under existing law, if 30% of the employees at a workplace sign authorization cards the employer may insist upon an election to determine if the union must be recognized as the bargaining agent for the workers. According to the bill’s supporters, those elections are very often tainted by long delays, identification and harassment of pro-union workers, “captive-audience" meetings of the workforce where threats of consequences for pro-union votes are explicitly or implicitly made and on-on-one meetings with employees to dissuade them from voting union.

Employers may, under existing law, choose to recognize the union if more than 50% of the employees sign authorization cards, but they rarely choose that option.

The EFCA also provides for binding arbitration if first contract talks are stalled for too long as well as stiffer penalties for employers who violate the law during organization drives.

The vote was preceded by a press conference and rally sponsored by the Midstate Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO that drew 125 labor activists and supporters on a chilly day in front of the Tompkins County Courthouse. Speaking in support of the resolution and EFCA were Tom Sieling, President, MCLC, Dave Marsh, President, Building Trades Council, Professor Kate Bronfenbrenner, Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Pete Meyers Director of theTompkins County Workers’ Rights Center, Marty Luster of Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America as well as a number of Tompkins County legislators.