Friday, November 14, 2008 4:10 PM

Labor Groups To Push Card-Check Bill In New Ad

By AMY HARDER

American Rights At Work, a coalition of labor advocates and progressive organizations like the Sierra Club and the AFL-CIO, is launching a nationwide TV ad on Sunday urging the incoming Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.

This legislation, which has elicited a heated debate on both sides of the political spectrum throughout the election, would make it easier for workers to form unions. Critics argue that one provision of the bill, which would get rid of mandatory secret elections when employees are deciding whether or not to unionize, would leave employees vulnerable to intimidation and coercion.

With a Democratic majority in both chambers and President-elect Barack Obama having come out in support of the legislation, the group hopes the bill gains traction and passes early in the next session. "This needs to be a top priority in the new Congress and administration," said spokesman Josh Goldstein. "This ad couldn't have come earlier enough."



The ad will run nationwide for three weeks on CNN, MSNBC and Headline News, and on broadcast cable during political talk shows.

Check back next week for more on the push for the Employee Free Choice Act.