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<p class=MsoPlainText>-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Maureen Collins [mailto:Mcollins@aflcio.org] <br>
<br>
</p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>For Immediate Release<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Contact: Alison Omens / Eddie Vale 202-637-5018<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><b>New Hart Research Shows Overwhelming Support for
Employee Free Choice Act<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>(Washington, January 8) Nearly four in five adults (78
percent) favor legislation that makes it easier for workers to bargain with
their employers for better wages, benefits and working conditions, according to
new opinion research conducted by one of the country’s most respected polling
firms, and 73 percent specifically support the Employee Free Choice Act,
legislation that would give workers the freedom to bargain collectively for a
better life. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>The survey of 1007 adults, conducted by Hart Research Associates
from Dec. 4 to 10 and commissioned by the AFL-CIO, shows overwhelming support
for the Employee Free Choice Act and its three main provisions. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>“In today’s economic squeeze, workers need the freedom to
bargain their way into the middle class more than ever,” said AFL-CIO President
John Sweeney. “This new research confirms that the vast majority of Americans
support workers freedom to form unions to improve their lives and support the
Employee Free Choice Act, which is key to making our economy work for
everyone.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Support for the Employee Free Choice Act is broad across
political party and state lines. Three-quarters of moderate/liberal
Republicans, 87 percent of Democrats, and 69 percent of Independents support
the legislation. Opposition is confined to Republicans who identify as
conservatives (36 percent of them support the Employee Free Choice Act). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Of the three parts of the Employee Free Choice Act, the
broadest public support is for the majority sign-up provision, which puts the
choice of how to form a union in the hands of workers, not corporations. Seventy-five
percent of adults favor allowing employees to have a union once a majority of
employees in a workplace sign authorization cards saying they want one,
including 44 percent who strongly support the idea. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Strong majorities also support strengthening penalties
for companies that illegally intimidate or fire employees who try to organizes
unions and establishing third party binding arbitration if necessary to ensure
that workers who choose to form a union can get a contract. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>The AFL-CIO is engaged in a massive campaign to mobilize
the public around restoring workers freedom to join unions. In all 50 states,
proponents of the legislation have worked with local community and elected
leaders to discuss the need for the Employee Free Choice Act. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Over one million people have signed cards indicating
their support for the legislation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>###<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Consolas'>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Consolas'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Support
the Employee Free Choice Act at </span></i></b><a href="http://www.araw.org/"><b><i><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>www.araw.org</span></i></b></a><b><i><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>TO
UNSUBSCRIBE, send an email to </span><a href="mailto:wmjwj@wmjwj.org"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>wmjwj@wmjwj.org</span></a><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> with a Subject of
"Unsub Workers' Rights" or to </span><a
href="mailto:street_heat@pvaflcio.org"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>street_heat@pvaflcio.org</span></a><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> with a Subject of
"Unsub Street Heat".<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>[Workers'
Rights] posts opportunities for you to learn about and show solidarity with
workplace and working class struggles. And these events are opportunities for
JwJ members to fulfill their pledge: </span><a
href="http://www.jwj.org/pledge.html"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";text-decoration:none'>"</span><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I'll be there for workers' rights at
least five times a year!</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
text-decoration:none'>"</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> This is the core mission of Jobs with
Justice (</span><a href="http://www.jwj.org/"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>www.jwj.org</span></a><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>), affirming that workers' rights are
human rights. To subscribe, send an email to wmjwj@wmjwj.org with a Subject of
"Subscribe Worker's Rights".<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Western
Mass Jobs with Justice<br>
640 Page Blvd #101<br>
Springfield MA 01104<br>
(413) 827-0301 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Street
Heat is the AFL-CIO mobilization program. [Street Heat] is the e-newsletter of
the Mobilization Committee of the Pioneer Valley Central Labor Council in
cooperation with the Hampshire/Franklin Central Labor Council. All
Affiliates and Delegates to these CLCs receive [Street Heat] unless they opt
out. Other activists may opt in by sending an email to </span><a
href="mailto:street_heat@pvaflcio.org"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>street_heat@pvaflcio.org</span></a><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> with a Subject of
"Subscribe Street Heat".<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Pioneer
Valley Central Labor Council<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>640
Page Blvd<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Springfield
MA 01104<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>(413)
732-7970<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
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