On Thursday, March 1, Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Labor and Working Families, urged his colleagues in Congress to support H.R. 800, The Employee Free Choice Act.  The legislation, which is supported by a bipartisan coalition in Congress, would restore workers’ rights to join together and negotiate for better wages and benefits and safe working conditions.  Later that day, the House of Representatives passed The Employee Free Choice Act by a vote of 241-185.  Below is the text of Congressman Lynch’s remarks:

Madam Speaker, I rise today in proud support of H.R. 800, the Employee Free Choice Act. 

There has been much said during this debate about what effect this bill will have for American workers and for our business community.

In the simplest terms, the operative language of this bill allows American workers to have a voice in the workplace. It allows individual workers greater ability to come together and bargain collectively with their employer.

In some cases it would mean that workers would have the opportunity to have a say when the company closes its pension fund or moves jobs overseas and lays off its workers.

In some cases these hard working Americans would have a chance to question exorbitant salaries paid to company CEOs. These workers may actually have chance to bargain with their employer over health benefits.

Now it may seem threatening to some folks, that these workers will have a better chance to have a voice in the workplace.

But that's basically it, and that's what this bill is all about.

Giving a little bit of power to workers who may have had their pensions eliminated and their jobs eliminated.

These workers who would be powerless to have any effect individually will be able to get together to associate and bargain as one.

For twenty years I worked as a union ironworker, one of the most dangerous occupations in our society.

The safety standards that were maintained and enforced to make the job as safe as possible were made possible by the Ironworkers International Union and my brothers and sisters of the American Labor Movement.

I can honestly say that I often find it strange that in a country as great as the United States, founded on individual freedom, freedom of expression and freedom of association, that it is necessary to have a federal statute passed so you can join with your fellow workers in order to have a voice in the workplace.

This bill actually allows human beings to exercise a moral right, a God given right.

The time is now, our cause is just.  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 800, the Employee Free Choice Act, and I yield back the remainder of my time.

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