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Employers Brace for Aggressive Union Organizing as Sen. Barack Obama Clinches Democratic Nomination
NEW YORK, June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- As Senator Barack Obama secured the
delegates to become the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee this past
week, employers should be braced for a possible dramatic change in the labor
landscape. Speaking via satellite to the Service Employees International Union
(SEIU) convention taking place inPuerto Rico, Sen. Obama vowed to stand by
re-elected SEIU president Andy Stern and union members by ushering in a union-
friendly administration. He also vowed to pass the Employee Free Choice Act if
elected to presidential office.
The so-called Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would grant unions
certification as soon as they had collected signature cards from half the
workers, effectively stripping workers of their right to vote in a government
supervised secret ballot election. EFCA would also impose substantial fines
for employers' mistakes, as well as force first contracts determined by a
third party arbitrator, even if the employer and the union both might disagree
with the mandated final contract terms.
The SEIU, one of the largest and most powerful unions, has been
campaigning aggressively in support of EFCA and plans to spend $75 million on
federal and state elections in the current two-year political cycle. Part of
this plan includes aggressively pressuring or punishing political candidates
who fail to follow through on pro-union vows after being elected.
"Employers across all industries must prepare for extremely aggressive
union organizing campaigns that will be waged on a national scale," says
Michael J. Lotito, a recognized workplace law expert and partner at the
national employment law firm, Jackson Lewis LLP. "In fact Anna Burger,
Secretary-Treasurer of the SEIU, predicts that the labor movement will add 1
million members per year if EFCA becomes law."
The convention established a new direction for the SEIU, voting to fund
international, industry-specific campaigns over the traditionally favored
local initiatives.
"With its new plans for consolidating power, the SEIU's leadership will
effectively be able to dictate who will be targeted for corporate campaigns,
how long they will last, and the terms under which they will end. The time for
employers to define themselves positively before the union defines them
negatively is now," says Philip B. Rosen, managing partner and chair of the
Jackson Lewis LLP Labor Practice Group.
About Jackson Lewis LLP
Founded in 1958, Jackson Lewis LLP is dedicated to representing management
exclusively in workplace law. With offices in 37 cities and 500 attorneys,
Jackson Lewis has developed a specialized expertise in every aspect of
employment, labor, benefits and immigration law. Additional information about
Jackson Lewis LLP can be found at www.jacksonlewis.com .
SOURCE Jackson Lewis LLP
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