Reps. Byrum, Sak, Meisner, Zelenko, Waters, Anderson, Bieda, Hopgood, Alma Smith, Condino, Kathleen Law, Bennett, Mayes, Kolb, Gillard, Tobocman, Lipsey, Accavitti, Farrah, Donigan, Vagnozzi, Cushingberry, Brown and Gleason offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 176.

            A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact the Employee Free Choice Act.

            Whereas, One of the key reasons for the development of a strong middle class in our country was the emergence of organized labor as a means for workers to join together to express their concerns from a position of strength that could balance out corporate interests. Over time, the labor movement has come to work with management, in many situations, for the benefit not only of employees, but also of the companies themselves; and

            Whereas, Lately, however, some employers have become far stronger in their opposition to unionization activities. It has been reported in numerous workplaces that efforts to establish unions through the current elections process have been met by a variety of actions that can be considered discriminatory or threatening to the workers. Workers who feel at risk of harassment are not as able to express their wishes honestly; and

            Whereas, The Employee Free Choice Act, H.R. 1696 and S. 842, which includes bipartisan sponsorship in both houses of Congress, would amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system for employees to follow to form or join a labor union. The legislation incorporates a procedure that uses signed authorization designations for certifying a person's desire on the question of establishing or joining a union. The proposed certification process would eliminate the added threat of harassment that can take place when elections are held on this question. The legislation provides significant penalties and safeguards to ensure the integrity of the process; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact the Employee Free Choice Act; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.