Employers are encouraged to monitor the status of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which is a proposed amendment to the federal labor law that governs employer-union relations at employers other than airlines and railroads.  EFCA would eliminate secret ballot elections as the way for employees to decide whether to have union representation; this would be replaced with a "card check" procedure that would result in certification of the union if a majority of employees in an appropriate work group simply sign union cards.  This would make it much easier for a union to become the collective bargaining representative of a group of employees at a company.  In addition, EFCA would change significantly the process for negotiating a first contract.  Changes would include mandatory government-run arbitration to establish the terms and conditions of employment in the initial contract if the parties cannot reach agreement during direct and mediated negotiations.

Ford & Harrison lawyers have authored articles on this important legislation.  To read these articles, please click on the links below:

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Commercial Appeal guest column

MarketWatch article

TL Podcasts

PR Inside article

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