IT PROFESSIONALS WORKERS

YES because Professionals are joining unions to preserve workplace integrity and respect, and create safe, professional, and rewarding work environments for themselves and their colleagues. The desire to do their jobs well attracts many professional employees to union representation. Having a union gives employees in a wide variety of professions—from nursing to pilots and engineers—the tools they need to not only improve their own working conditions but also to improve the critical services they provide to the public. As the DPE report notes: Unions allow professional employees to do their jobs to the best of their training, education and abilities through vital workplace protections. Rationalization of personnel procedures and protection against arbitrary dismissal afford professional employees the ability to speak up when they see a threat to professional integrity. Through training programs and a strong stake in the quality of work they’re providing, professional employees’ ability to form unions has powerful benefits for the people they serve.

The DPE’s fact sheet says the Employee Free Choice Act is critical to ensure that professional employees can freely exercise their basic freedom to form a union and bargain. The legislation will make sure employees, not their bosses, can make the choice about which method to use to form a union—either a National Labor Relations Board election or majority sign-up. It will remove obstacles that frequently are thrown in the way of workers who want to form unions by creating real penalties for coercive management tactics, including the illegal firings that mar one out of every four union campaigns. And, by guaranteeing a first contract, the bill will prevent the routine management tactics of delay and refusal to negotiate.

Giving professionals the choice about how to form a union is critical to fairer workplaces, better service to the public and a stronger economy. It’s time to pass this critical bill.