 |
SEIU Executive Vice President Tom Woodruff presented these findings and insights into the link between organizing and political action at the SEIU 2007 Member Political Action Conference.Under Woodruff’s leadership, SEIU has had its most successful organizing period ever, with more than 980,000 workers joining SEIU in the past decade. |
Despite workers’ increasing productivity year after year, their incomes are declining. In 2005, for example, 90 percent of households had income decline.
For African-Americans, Latinos, and women, economic injustice is especially pronounced. African-Americans make 76 percent of white wages while Latinos make 79 percent. Women earn 72.7 percent as much as men.
Job benefits are also disappearing, particularly in terms of affordable health insurance and retirement security. 47 million Americans don’t have health insurance, and less than half retire with pensions. On average, monthly social security payments only equal $900.
Meanwhile, CEO pay in the last five years is up 110 percent — over 411 times higher than the average worker’s pay.
Workers want Unions so they can reach the Dream.
In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, when many more workers were union members, average wages were up by 75 percent. Since 1979, average wages have only risen by 2 percent.
This income decline directly correlates with union density decline — 35 percent of workers had a voice on the job in 1953 compared with only 12 percent in 2006.
Today, 50 percent of all U.S. workers would join a union if they had the chance (and 81 percent say they would vote for union representation), but employers directly prevent workers from coming together.
Employers prevent workers from joining Unions and reaching the Dream.
98 percent of employers send their workers anti-union literature in paycheck envelopes, mailings, and emails.
91 percent of employers force employees to attend mandatory closed-door meetings to hear anti-union presentations.
80 percent of employers hire anti-union consultants.
80 percent of employers require supervisors to attend training sessions on how to attack the union.
79 percent of supervisors deliver anti-union messages.
Although it’s illegal, 50 percent of employers threaten to shut down businesses, and 31 percent fire workers. Thanks to only minor penalties handed down for such crimes, employer interference in the right of workers to form unions is rampant.
On top of it all, 22 states don’t even have collective rights for public employees, adversely affecting 7 million workers.
Workers need to elect a President who’ll change the rules so workers can join Unions again and reach the Dream.
Workers need to elect a pro-worker President, as well as candidates at every level of government, who’ll support the right of workers to freely choose to form unions without interference from employers.
Workers must continue their work moving the Employee Free Choice Act through Congress. This legislation would give workers the free choice and fair chance to exercise their right to form unions through a majority sign-up process, and it would prevent employers from interfering in that right.
Earlier this year, the full House approved the bill, and in June, the bill received majority support in the Senate, but it fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Nevertheless, the Senate vote was a real breakthrough as it was the first time a majority of Senators showed support for the bill.