International Human Rights Day, December 10th

As part of a nationwide mobilization during the week leading up to International Human Rights Day, December 10, ADA is supporting the union movement in its demand that workers be guaranteed a fundamental human right: the freedom to have a voice on the job. Rallies, town hall meetings, vigils and teach-ins will take place across the nation, union members and their allies will highlight the hardships workers endure when they try to join a union and on what solutions are available to these problems. International Human Rights Day commemorates the anniversary of the 1948 ratification of the U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which established the right of people in every nation to join unions and bargain contracts. This is a very important day for everyone and for ADA in particular given that one of our founders, Eleanor Roosevelt, was so instrumental in the development and ratification of the U. N.'s policy on human rights. The U.S. government established recognition of those worker rights with the National Labor Relations Act in the 1930's. However, many workers today feel that those rights are not properly protected and offenders not held accountable. The systematic use of threats, coercion and intimidation by union-busting companies combined with toothless regulation of rules has virtually nullified the Labor Relations Act for today's worker. ADA and our friends in the labor movement are working hard to pass legislation that explicitly guarantees the rights of workers to form unions so that each person has a say in their own professional and personal future. The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) does just that by requiring employers to recognize a union after a majority of workers signs cards authorizing union representation. It also would provide for mediation and arbitration of firstcontract disputes and authorize stronger penalties for violation of the law when workers seek to form a union. For more information on EFCA see ADA's brief at http://www.adaction.org/EFCA.pdf

ADAction: Every ADA member is urged to participate in mobilization events near where they live; for information
about these events see http://aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/d10.cfm.

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