World Series Stars Push Employee Free Choice Act

The labor community has largely put on the back burner its efforts to pass the Employee Free Choice Act -- wary that the pro-organizing provision lacked the votes to pass a filibuster and distracted by the more pressing matter of pushing health care reform.

But it hasn't dropped all its efforts -- on Wednesday, the union conglomerate, AFL-CIO, took out an ad in three major Capital Hill newspapers, tying the legislation, which would provide more avenues for workers to organize, to the beginning of the World Series.

The Major League Baseball Players Association is one of the strongest unions in the country in addition to being a member of the AFL-CIO. And as part of the ad, some of the best-known names in the game, including three players who are participating in the fall classic -- Jimmy Rollins, Mark Teixeira and Shane Victorino -- pitch the societal benefits of stronger labor organization.

"[A]ll Americans should have the same opportunity we've had -- to be able to join a union without being fired and to negotiate with their employers without being penalized," their statement reads. "Today, our country is facing some tough times. Health care costs are skyrocketing. Families are losing homes. Savings and retirement income are disappearing overnight. Now more than ever, we need a strong union movement to protect our jobs, our pensions, and our future. The Employee Free Choice Act simply guarantees a level playing field for all workers. It makes sure everyone plays by the same rules. That's as important in the workplace as it is in baseball."

The print ads ran on Wednesday in The Hill, Roll Call, and Politico. The players who signed a statement in support of EFCA are as follows: Heath Bell, Dave Bush, LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter, John Lannan, Andrew Miller, J.J. Putz, Jimmy Rollins, Mark Teixeira, Justin Verlander, Shane Victorino and Adam Wainwright.

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Comments

[WWWoDMOCRATSoORG]

Sign this petition for the Employee free choice act at http://bit.ly/EFCA

also

Watch the latest episode of countdown with Keith Olbermann at http://bit.ly/public_option and also email your representative and senators and demand a strong public option.

[mcmutter]

Low pay is ruining the America middle class. Poor but proud might sound good in bible class, but sucks in real life.

[Bigredhunk]

Great. Now I, a diehard Cubs fan, has to start liking Adam Wainwright. Grrr...

[Bigredhunk]

HAVE to start liking...

[austinro]

I have no problem with people forming unions to bargain salaries, benefits etc with employers, but doesn't this bill eliminate the secret ballot for voting to form a union? I guess I don't understand the reasons for doing so. Isn't the secret ballot a good thing, so people aren't singled out for their votes?

[JohnBryansFontaine]

Business interests, including the anti-Union Chamber of Commerce, want the secret ballot as a stalling measure so that businesses can intimidate Workers to vote against Unionizing. There was an anti-Union article lately, ' Keep the workplace Union free' that favorably mentions secret ballots.

[Sensiblebg]

Stick to baseball boys..

[philliesnation]

it's Capitol Hill not Capital Hill...

[dnegri]

They are members of a union, by the way.

[Catfish1968]

That's pretty cool. Shane's dad is really pro-union here on Maui. He's not always on the right side on a lot of issues, but he is when it comes to being pro-union. I'm sure that had a big influence on Shane.

[dnegri]

Well, I'd rather hear pro-EFCA from millionaire athletes than the anti-EFCA crap we'll get from those so-called "family values" groups.

[KayCo]

These athletes would have more credibility with regular people like me if they weren't millionaires. It sickens me that they make millions and still feel that they have to bargain and go on strike. Why?

[JayinPhoenix]

Did you ever stop to think that the REASON these athletes are able to garner the wages and build the wealth that they do is precisely because of their bargaining power, not just their talent? Why should they be looked down upon simply because they organize and bargain over a higher wage than working class folks do? The bottom line is that they want a fair piece of the revenue they help bring in, same as anyone else. So they do it very, very well...and that's a problem for you? Instead of being a working-class elitist, try understanding the power dynamics, KayCo. And it might help you to realize that they are trying to secure YOU the same privileges that they have. Does THAT increase their credibility enough for you?

[Yuseff Hilton]

great post!

[rusty2m]

Kinda of a joke - minor leaguers have union and major leaguers like it that way. The major league
players union makes the rules and those rules often end up screwing the minor leaguers - the whole goal is to prolong the major leaguers career while keeping other players stuck down in the minors
making zilch. True some got big bonuses but the overwhelming majority didn't. They work for profitable
franchises delivering a quality product (minor league baseball) and they get nothing for it.

When the players union advocates for a minor league union I'll have more respect for these guys.

[Yuseff Hilton]

interesting, expand a bit on those "rules".

[DanSteSr]

Just what we need people who have had their A$$es kissed since they were first graders telling us how we should think, their union is a good one fighting tooth and nail to protect against drug testing in baseball, my kind of idols.

[NYCannibal]

As a life-long Met fan, all I can say is Damn You, Jimmy Rollins, you're Right, Again!

[sealbeach]

Great, now we have a collection of guys, some of whom received million+ dollar signing bonuses out of high school and have never set foot in anything resembling a typical work environment, weighing in on this issue.

[Snippert]

Finally. Athletes need to do more of this. Use their position of influence to get things done.