Hope, Change, a new multi-million dollar ad campaign to begin running today. : AZ IMC

American Rights at Work, a union advocacy group, chaired by former Rep. David Bonior D-Mich., used real workers to star in the ads, which implore lawmakers to pass The Employee Free Choice Act. The ads will run nationwide for the next two weeks. "I hope to have some health care… for a change," says one worker. "I hope to work just one job… for a change," says another. Under current law, forming a union can be a daunting process for workers, the advocates argue, since employers can require employees to vote whether to organize by secret ballot. Under the proposed bill, workers would be able to choose instead to publicly sign cards stating they want to form a union. If more than half the workers sign the cards, then the union is official. The proposal would also require bosses to negotiate with the union. “On Election Day, the American people voted for hope and change – and our ads continue their call for action to make our economy work for everyone again, not just CEOs and corporate special interests,” said American Rights at Work Executive Director Mary Beth Maxwell. “That’s why a substantial majority of Americans see the Employee Free Choice Act as part of the common sense solutions critical to economic recovery and reinvigorating the middle class.”

These new ads serve as a reminder that in our current economic climate, the American public is hungry for measures to strengthen the middle class. The Employee Free Choice Act will help level the playing field for workers by making it easier for them to bargain with their employers for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. It will also help employees secure a contract in a reasonable period of time, and toughen penalties against employers who break the law. The Employee Free Choice Act is tremendously popular legislation with support that transcends party lines. President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden cosponsored the bill and it has broad support from the leadership and the majority of our new Congress. A poll by Hart Research Associates released last week found that 73 percent of adults support passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, with 87 percent of Democrats, 69 percent of Independents, and nearly half (48 percent) of self-identified Republicans favoring the legislation. "To bridge this gap in inequality, we have to give people the chance to collectively bargain with their employers,” Bonior said. “This act is not only important for union organizers but for those who are not in a union.” For More Information on EFCA please visit our website and blog Employee Free Choice Act Now . org http://efcanow.blogspot.com/ Labor Union Resources . Org