AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee issued a statement today calling Senator Ted Kennedy “Our closest ally and most steadfast friend in the U.S. Senate.”

Senator Kennedy called health care reform the cause of his life, first advocating for national health care in 1966. He made a surprise return to the Senate last summer to cast the decisive vote for the Democrats on a Medicare bill. In his memory, we must continue to do all we can to realize his goal of health care reform.

Read the full statement.

Earlier today on The Ed Schultz Show, President McEntee reflected on the legacy of Sen. Kennedy. Visit our tribute page to listen to the full segment.

This video, from the 2008 DNC Convention, celebrates the life and accomplishments of the Lion of the Senate:

Find more on AFSCME.org.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) was reintroduced yesterday in the U.S. Senate.  Two Democrats – Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) – along with two Republicans – Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) – are named as the lead cosponsors, the first time the bill has had bipartisan lead sponsors in the Senate.

This bill, which would extend existing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination to protect people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, is much needed and long overdue.  AFSCME is a longtime supporter of the bill.

“Throughout our long history, Americans have fought to break down the barriers that deny opportunity and equality to our fellow citizens. Through civil rights legislation and constitutional amendments, we have worked to ensure that equal justice under law would be a standard for all who work and live in the United States. The passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) will write a new and important chapter in this proud story.” – AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee

Sen. Kennedy issued a statement saying:“The promise of America will never be fulfilled as long as justice is denied to even one among us. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act brings us closer to fulfilling that promise for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender citizens.”

Senator Collins commented: “Similar to the current law in several states, including Maine, and the policies of many Fortune 500 companies, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would close an important gap in federal civil rights laws by making it illegal to discriminate in employment. I am pleased to join Senators Merkley, Kennedy and Snowe in introducing this important legislation which affirms the principle that individuals should be judged on their skills and abilities, and not by who they are.”

Pride at Work, the voice of the LGBT community in the labor movement, is encouraging union members to contact your senators to urge them to cosponsor this important legislation. You can send an email to your senators by clicking on this link: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/ENDA09_Senate

There is a “union difference” in family-friendly workplace policies, such as family and medical leave, paid sick leave for employees and their children, health care and flexible work arrangements.

According to a recently-published report by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education and the Labor Project for Working Families, unionized workers receive more generous family-friendly benefits than their non-unionized counterparts. These benefits include: increased compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act, access to paid leave and flexible paid sick days.

“This study bolsters the case for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA),” says AFSCME International Pres. Gerald H. McEntee.

“Without the freedom to form and join unions, employees won’t be able to bargain for better health care, pensions, wages and working conditions. In these times of economic need, union membership can pave the way toward the American dream for more working families.”

To download “Family-Friendly Workplaces: Do Unions Make a Difference?” go to http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu or http://www,working-families.org

This post about worksite visits by AFSCME Local 1184 in support of the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform is courtesy of the AFL-CIO Employee Free Choice Act blog.

AFSCME Local 1184 collected over 500 letters and signatures in support of the Employee Free Choice Act during worksite visits earlier this month.

AFSCME Local 1184, which represents 3,800 Miami Dade County school employees, visited the worksites of school bus drivers over a four-day span earlier this month with the South Florida AFL-CIO, UA organizers Rick Lindstrom and Javier Garcia and AFSCME representative Paris Walker collecting hundreds of signatures and letters in support of the Employee Free Choice Act and President Obama’s healthcare plan.

“Anytime you can educate the members on an issue, it is significant. People become empowered to get involved once they realize it will have an impact on their lives,” said Sherman Henry, President of Local 1184.

Local 1184 Vice President Vicki Hall said that visiting worksites is an effective way to reach out to membership. “Some of our members aren’t up to speed on the Employee Free Choice Act and other issues because they are so busy with work and their families. Talking to people on the job is a great way to get in touch with everyone and provide information.”

For their part, Rick Lindstrom and Javier Garcia are two of eleven UA organizers who have been driving the internal Employee Free Choice Act campaign across the state. Lindstrom and Garcia have been visiting the top 20 locals in the Miami area and offering their support to do activities like the AFSCME Local 1184 worksite visits.

“This is the biggest piece of legislation for the labor movement since 1935. We just had an employer who skipped town after his workers voted to unionize. People are starving out there, working without pensions and healthcare and they are sick of it,” said Lindstrom.

This team was able to collect over 500 letters and signatures in support of the Employee Free Choice Act at the AFSCME Local 1184 worksites. To date, unions of the South Florida AFL-CIO have collected tens of thousands of letters and made thousands of phone calls about the bill to federal legislators. Local 1184 President Henry plans to keep his members active on political issues and the local will be doing a voter registration drive in the near future.

Findings from renowned labor expert and Cornell University professor Dr. Kate Brofenbrenner reveal that employer tactics against workers’ efforts to form unions have increased and become more punitive than in the past.

A new report, “No Holds Barred: The Intensification of Employer Opposition to Organizing,” released this week by the Economic Policy Institute and American Rights at Work exposes the ugly truth about corporate abuse of workers trying to form unions and bargain for a better life.

An in-depth examination of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election campaigns, interviews with workers and investigations of unfair labor practice filings gives a clear picture of what the process of forming a union really looks like. Workers are regularly subjected to threats, interrogation, harassment, surveillance and retaliation for supporting a union.

Some of the findings:

• 63% of employers interrogate workers in one-on-one meetings with their supervisors about support for the union
• 57% of employers threaten to close the worksite
• 47% of employers threaten to cut wages and benefits
• 34% of employers fire workers

For more, read the full report and fact sheet.

This animation from the American Worker Project, courtesy of the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF), shows how labor law gives workers a raw deal, taking you step-by-step through the current process for forming a union. It’s not pretty.

Watch it and weep. Better yet, watch it and tell your Senators and Congressmember to support the Employee Free Choice Act.

All too often we hear about Americans being killed and injured at the workplace. Nearly 5,680 workers on average die on the job each year. In the last 30 years, 500 AFSCME members have been killed on the job.

Every worker who is killed or injured under these circumstances serves as a constant reminder of why the men and women of AFSCME continue to fight for increased security and the best workplace safety resources.

April 28, Workers Memorial Day, is set aside to pay tribute to the men and women who have been killed or injured at work. This is why today Labor Secretary Hilda Solis joined union leaders to break ground for a new national workers memorial at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Md. The date coincides with the anniversary of the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency in charge of issuing and enforcing standards for workplace safety and health.

Since OSHA’s inception, in 1970, the number of workplace fatalities has fallen. But we have more work to do. Today, only 24 states along with Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have federally approved OSHA laws covering public employees. That’s not enough. Every public employee across this nation deserves OSHA protections.

That’s why AFSCME is playing a leading role in the battle for the job safety rights that protect workers from asbestos, infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, and other hazards. Regularly, we also conduct health and safety training so our members can identify and correct workplace hazards.

The fight for workers’ rights goes hand in hand with workplace security. After all, good jobs are also safe jobs.

From Joe Sudbay at AmericaBlog:

Corporate leaders and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are on a multi-million dollar mission to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act, even as many of them, like Bank of America, take federal bailout money. The Wall Street crowd, with their private jets and huge bonuses, almost destroyed the American economy…

But, if you want to meet real union workers, the people who make the economy function and the people Lewis and his fellow CEOS wants to screw, meet the men from Maersk Alabama over at the AFL-CIO NOW blog:

“We didn’t have to retake the ship because we never surrendered it. We’re American seaman. We’re union members. We stuck together and did our jobs,” said John Cronan, third engineer and son of a merchant sailor

The AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department (MTD) salutes the courageous efforts of the all-union crew aboard the Maersk Alabama for maintaining control of their vessel, as well as the heroic efforts of the U.S. Navy in rescuing Capt. Richard Phillips from his Somali captors.

More at AFL-CIO Now Blog.

It’s time to pass the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and put an end to the threats and coercion that make it all but impossible for many workers to join a union. That’s why AFSCME members – folks who’ve seen the value of union membership firsthand – are calling, e-mailing and meeting directly with elected officials across the nation to encourage passage of this critical federal legislation.

Currently, federal law protects a worker’s right to form a union. In practice, the rules are skewed in favor of the employer. EFCA would even the playing field, allowing workers to form a union by signing cards authorizing union representation without being harassed by their employers. It also includes increased penalties for breaking the law. Now, penalties are so slight that companies consider them the cost of doing business. Workers – the backbone of America – deserve greater respect.

Many across our nation know that. Recent polling shows 78 percent of Americans favor legislation to make it easier for workers to form unions and bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions. Most of those questioned specifically support EFCA.

AFSCME members are taking action to help their non-union sisters and brothers who want the same contract protections and benefits that they have. Last month, Colorado Council 76 hosted an annual Town Hall Meeting in Denver. There, lawmakers heard why it is so important to pass EFCA. Listen to what AFL-CIO Executive Director Mike Cerbo said about EFCA at the gathering.

In Wisconsin, at a recent meeting of AFSCME’s statewide Political Steering Committee, Council 40 Pres. Michael Murphy signed letters to the state’s congressional delegation on behalf of 45,000 local government and private sector employees who are members of the Wisconsin PEOPLE Conference, a political action organization.

Murphy, who is also an AFSCME International vice president, made it crystal clear that passing EFCA is essential, especially in these tough economic times. He wrote, “With our economy in a free fall, working families need a fair chance to get ahead, to bargain with their employers for a better life.”

Each member of the steering committee also took time during the meeting to write a personal letter supporting EFCA to U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.).

Unions helped create the middle class. After the economic devastation wrought by the short-sighted policies of the Bush administration, it is more essential than ever that working people have a chance to regain their ability to live the American Dream. Passing EFCA is an essential step on that path.

Learn more about the Employee Free Choice Act.

More from AFL-CIO NOW Blog.

This entry by AFSCME President Gerald McEntee is cross-posted from The Huffington Post and Oxdown Gazette.

America’s top CEOs — the clueless millionaires whose greed, ignorance and arrogance drove our economy off a cliff — have declared their top legislative priority for 2009. It isn’t the president’s budget. It’s not promoting jobs or health care for their workers. And it’s certainly not limits on CEO pay.

Instead, they’ve launched an all out campaign to scuttle bi-partisan legislation that would restore workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain for a better life. The legislation, the Employee Free Choice Act, fixes a broken system and would restore the promise of the American Dream for working Americans. It must be a key component of our efforts to rebuild the middle class, promote economic growth and create an economy that works for all Americans.

America’s CEOs have made the defeat of this bill their biggest goal in 2009. To spearhead their campaign, they’ve hired Rick Berman, a shadowy P.R. man who has spent his career attacking nonprofits, like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, through phony front groups and misleading advertisements. Berman made a name for himself by winning huge fees working for clients including the tobacco and alcohol industries, mounting campaigns to defeat or weaken drunk driving laws, quieting concerns about cigarettes, and blocking increases in the minimum wage.

Berman specializes in Big Lie campaigns. That’s why the CEOs have hired him. The Chamber of Commerce, The National Association of Manufacturers and other front organizations for the CEOs have decided that they can’t oppose the Employee Free Choice Act on the merits, so they’ll create a Big Lie to raise concerns about the bill. The lie they’re promoting is that the bill would eliminate secret ballots for workers forming a union.

The claim is simply not true. The bill gives workers, not their employer, the choice in how they choose to form unions: either after a majority of workers sign a card in support of the union or through a secret ballot election. Workers could choose elections, but the opponents of the Employee Free Choice Act don’t care about the truth. They’ve already begun spending $200 million to spread the lie that the bill eliminates secret ballots, hoping that enough people will believe it to kill the bill. That’s why we need to call them on their lie.

The real reason CEOs oppose the bill is because they know that giving workers a better chance at forming a union will undercut corporations’ ability to keep the rewards only to themselves. Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott – who made about $23 million in 2007 – is one of the few CEOs to tell the truth about his motives. He admits that the secret ballot canard isn’t the real reason he’s fighting to kill the bill. “We like driving the car,” he said, “and we’re not going to give the steering wheel to anybody but us.”

Playing fast and loose with the truth is not going to defeat this important legislation in Congress. In the last Congress, the Employee Free Choice Act passed the House of Representatives by a wide margin, and in the Senate, Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has helped to build a solid majority of Democrats to support the bill. Thanks to Senator Reid, we now have a senate majority that supports giving workers a ticket to the middle class. But Republican senators have threatened a filibuster. Too many Republicans appear to be frightened that if they stand up to the Big Lie about secret ballots, they will upset the leaders of the their party. They know from experience that those leaders – anti-worker talking heads like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity – will make it difficult for them to stand with America’s workers.

That’s why it’s important to keep the facts in front of the GOP senators. They need to be reminded that union members earn 30 percent more than workers who don’t have one. Union members are 63 percent more likely to have health care through their employers. That’s why workers want to join unions. CEOs don’t want to pay more so that workers can live better.

Americans want an economy that works for everyone, not just CEOs and right wing radio and TV talk show hosts. The Employee Free Choice Act will help rebuild the middle class and jumpstart our economy, by giving every worker a chance to bargain for decent wages, benefits and safe working conditions. A union job is not only a ticket for workers into the middle class, it’s the best way to jumpstart our economy.