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HDMA’s Position:
HDMA opposes the “Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) of 2009” (H.R. 1409/S. 560). This bill would severely undermine longstanding principles of balance and fairness in federal labor law and would reduce the rights of employees and employers. The bill also could hinder the ability of U.S. businesses to successfully compete in the global marketplace.
Issue:
The EFCA, also referred to as “card check” legislation, has been introduced to enable unions to organize more quickly in work environments that currently have no union presence. In the past, a secret ballot vote was required. Under the proposed legislation, an employer would no longer be able to call for a secret ballot vote. Instead, when a majority of workers sign authorization cards during a card check election, a union bargaining unit would be created. Without the protection of a secret ballot vote, employees could be pressured or coerced to join the union.
If the employer and the union cannot agree on the terms of the contract within 120 days of a union being formed, they must then submit to binding arbitration. For first contracts, a binding, two-year union contract defining such things as wages and benefits would result, as determined by a federal arbitrator and without the customary ratification vote by employees.
Additional Information:
A growing number of businesses – including small and mid-sized businesses – oppose the EFCA bill, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, which represents a group of more than 500 organizations nationwide.
For more information, refer to: http://www.myprivateballot.com/
About HDMA
HDMA is the national association representing primary healthcare distributors, the vital link in the healthcare system. Each business day, HDMA member companies ensure that more than nine million prescription medicines and healthcare products are safely delivered to more than 165,000 pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, physician offices, clinics and others nationwide. HDMA and its members work daily to provide value and contain costs, saving the nation's healthcare system an estimated $32 billion per year.
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