As businesses continue voicing concern about the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), Congressional Republicans have introduced a new bill they hope will stop the union-friendly proposal in its tracks.
Before Democrats had the chance to formally introduce the EFCA during this Congressional term, the Secret Ballot Protection Act (SBPA) was introduced in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
If passed, the SBPA will guarantee employers the right to ask for a secret ballot election when workers are deciding whether to unionize.
Currently, elections are held if 30% of employees sign cards saying they want to unionize. The EFCA would let unions take power as long as a majority of employees sign those cards.
Who’s more likely to win the fight? Experts say the EFCA has a better shot of passing, given the Democrats’ majority in Congress and the fact that President Obama has made the bill one of his priorities.
However, the presence of the SBPA could convince the EFCA’s supporters to compromise.
We’ll keep you posted.
