SENATE BILL: The Walter Reuther & Cesar Chavez Solidarity Act (Passed)

[Blair]

Hi all.

Named after two of the finest trade unionist campaigners this is a bill to change some of the rather strict regulations that are placed on unions & workers.

It includes changing some old parts of the law; such as allowing a more simple sign up process (a simple majority of workers signing a card) and ending a rather old & baffling law which stopped farm workers from being able to unionise.

But is also includes some of the more modern problems that workers face; their employees spying on them and their union activity (hello Amazon), employees blocking them from meeting with reps and using company funds to bombard workers with propaganda which stops them from even trying to unionise.

A lot of these changes are about improving best practice; I've always believed as most trade unionists do that if you're striking it's because something has gone badly wrong & because relations have broken down.

[Blair]

This is a great bill again, which I fully support!

As a nitpick, isn't requiring 50% of the workforce to sign up a bit excessive? Shouldn't the number be lower? Especially in big multinational corporations that seems like a huge amount to get.

I'd personally reduce that to 1/3 or something like that.

I have always supported fair, free and open elections regulated and policed by the Department of labor with appropriate punitive actions taken whenever companies violate workers rights to said votes, engage in intimidation or otherwise impede such. Therefore I would be opposed to the provision regarding card check or signed affirmation in this case.

Would a comprise for this be lowering the threshold to trigger elections to say 20% or 30% of the workforce signing where as 50% would see the union automatically registered- on checking this is the provision that is used in the IRL legislation.

On Yankee's points I am confident that we're in a very different & much stronger environment for workers rights which means that any ballots wouldn't see the usual problems in countries with a hostile culture against unions

[Blair]

Offering this amendment

SENATE BILL

Be it enacted in Both Houses of Congress Assembled,

The Walter Reuther & Cesar Chavez Solidarity Act

Section 1:No Fire

1A.) It is hereby unlawful for any employer to fire or discipline any employee for joining a trade union, encouraging colleagues to join a union or attempting to form a union or organise within their workplace.

1B.) Any employer found guilty of breaching Section 1A shall be fined $5,000 after the first breach, $10,000 after the second breach and an additional $20,000 for each subsequent breach.

1C.) The Attorney General shall have the authority to introduce additional fines on companies found to breaching this regulation on successive occasions.

Section 2: Recognition

2A.) A union shall be recongised within any workplace providing that a majority more than 50% of employees submit a signed affirmation in favour of unionisation.

2B.) If less than 50% but more than 30% of employees submit a signed affirmation in favour of unionisation then a ballot shall be held by employees on whether to unionise.

Section 3: Solidarity Forever

3A.) Solidarity Strikes, or secondary strikes are hereby legal- under the provision that a ballot of union members is held with more than 50% voting in favour.

Section 4: Farm Workers are Workers

4A.) The National Labor Relations Act 1935 is hereby amended to include farm workers, and no limit shall be placed upon them

Section 5: Level Playing Field

5A.) No employer shall be allowled to limit, control or deny access for their employees to discuss or meet with their union representatives.

5B.) Employers shall not be allowled to use company resources to fund or provide literature or promotional material which encourages their employees not to join or become a member of a trade union.

5C.) It is hereby illegal for an employer to use any form of surveillance to monitor, track or disrupt the lawful activities of union officals within the workplace.

Section 6: The room where it happens.

6A.) All public limited companies shall have at least 1 trade union appointed offical as a sitting and voting member of their board of directors.

[Blair]

amendment is friendly & has my support (was an oversight in not adding that in)

[Blair]

Apologies for missing this- I move for a final vote

[Blair]

I thought Tack's amendment was adopted if I didn't object within 24 hours- but still I'll never turn down a vote.

Aye

[Blair]

The reasoning for doing so is that in my view there is rarely a level-playing if you allow companies to promote anti-union stances; whether it's through internal message boards at work, scary presentations using 'internal projections' or information the moment new employees work.

Seeing as we have elections if they can't reach the 50% threshold I assume that we'd still seeing campaigning in this context?

[Blair]

I thought Tack's amendment was adopted if I didn't object within 24 hours- but still I'll never turn down a vote.

Aye

I don't think it is a set time but if the feedback doesn't come it goes to a vote. 24 hours and objections only applies after sponsor feedback is given.

ah okay my mistake!

[Blair]

Edit: my intention wasn’t for this bill to ban speech; my intention was that CEOs/managers are still free to talk and communicate about it their views- it just imposes a limit on companies using their vastly larger resources- hence why it mentioned company resources

[Blair]

The Walter Reuther & Cesar Chavez Solidarity Act

Section 1:No Fire

1A.) It is hereby unlawful for any employer to fire or discipline any employee for joining a trade union, encouraging colleagues to join a union or attempting to form a union or organise within their workplace.

1B.) Any employer found guilty of breaching Section 1A shall be fined $5,000 after the first breach, $10,000 after the second breach and an additional $20,000 for each subsequent breach.

1C.) The Attorney General shall have the authority to introduce additional fines on companies found to breaching this regulation on successive occasions.

Section 2: Recognition

2A.) A union shall be recongised within any workplace providing that more than 50% of employees submit a signed affirmation in favour of unionisation.

2B.) If less than 50% but more than 30% of employees submit a signed affirmation in favour of unionisation then a secret ballot shall be held by employees on whether to unionise.

2C.) These signed affirmations may only be publicly accessible in an anonymous manner. No individual workers may be identified by signing an affirmation

Section 3: Solidarity Forever

3A.) Solidarity Strikes, or secondary strikes are hereby legal- under the provision that a ballot of union members is held with more than 50% voting in favour.

Section 4: Farm Workers are Workers

4A.) The National Labor Relations Act 1935 is hereby amended to include farm workers, and no limit shall be placed upon them

Section 5: Level Playing Field

5A.) No employer shall be allowled to limit, control or deny access for their employees to discuss or meet with their union representatives.

5B.) Employers shall not be allowled to use company resources to fund or provide literature or promotional material which encourages their employees not to join, except during a permitted election under section 2B, where a spending limit shall be approved by the National Labor Relations board

5C.) It is hereby illegal for an employer to use any form of surveillance to monitor, track or disrupt the lawful activities of union officals within the workplace.

Section 6: The room where it happens.

6A.) All public limited companies shall have at least 1 trade union appointed offical as a sitting and voting member of their board of directors.

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[Blair]

I’m stuck on the iPad so apologies for the poor formatting but for the purpose of procedure I withdraw my motion to hold a final vote and offer the following amendment- which will allow for employers to engage during an election period with spending caps in place.

[Blair]

Another and final tweak based on comments re tone/content of speech- this amendment removes any specific mention of the content and rather imposes a blanket policy.

The Walter Reuther & Cesar Chavez Solidarity Act

Section 1:No Fire

1A.) It is hereby unlawful for any employer to fire or discipline any employee for joining a trade union, encouraging colleagues to join a union or attempting to form a union or organise within their workplace.

1B.) Any employer found guilty of breaching Section 1A shall be fined $5,000 after the first breach, $10,000 after the second breach and an additional $20,000 for each subsequent breach.

1C.) The Attorney General shall have the authority to introduce additional fines on companies found to breaching this regulation on successive occasions.

Section 2: Recognition

2A.) A union shall be recongised within any workplace providing that more than 50% of employees submit a signed affirmation in favour of unionisation.

2B.) If less than 50% but more than 30% of employees submit a signed affirmation in favour of unionisation then a secret ballot shall be held by employees on whether to unionise.

2C.) These signed affirmations may only be publicly accessible in an anonymous manner. No individual workers may be identified by signing an affirmation

Section 3: Solidarity Forever

3A.) Solidarity Strikes, or secondary strikes are hereby legal- under the provision that a ballot of union members is held with more than 50% voting in favour.

Section 4: Farm Workers are Workers

4A.) The National Labor Relations Act 1935 is hereby amended to include farm workers, and no limit shall be placed upon them

Section 5: Level Playing Field

5A.) No employer shall be allowled to limit, control or deny access for their employees to discuss or meet with their union representatives.

5B.) Employers shall not be allowed to use company resources to fund literature regarding trade union activity except during a permitted election under section 2B, where a spending limit shall be approved by the National Labor Relations board

5C.) It is hereby illegal for an employer to use any form of surveillance to monitor, track or disrupt the lawful activities of union officals within the workplace.

Section 6: The room where it happens.

6A.) All public limited companies shall have at least 1 trade union appointed offical as a sitting and voting member of their board of directors.

[Blair]

I motion for a final vote

[Blair]

I motion for a final vote

Using my new found gavel to formally put 24 hours notice to object for this

[Blair]

Aye