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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 2007)
Study finds rise in illegal firings of pro-union workers WASHINGTON, D.C. — About one in five union organizers or ac- tivists can expect to be fired as a result of their union organizing, according to a new report from the Center for Eco- nomic and Policy Research (CEPR). The paper, “Dropping the Ax: Ille- gal Firings During Union Election Campaigns,” by John Schmitt and Ben Zipperer, finds a steep rise in ille- gal firings of pro-union workers in re- cent years. “Aggressive actions by employers — often including illegal firings — have significantly undermined the ability of U.S. workers to unionize their workplaces,” said Schmitt, CEPR senior economist and lead au- thor of the paper. “With the legal penalties for such actions being so slight, employers can break the law to head-off organizing efforts and face almost no real repercussions,” he said The report finds that firings of pro- union workers involved in union elec- tion campaigns are approaching the peak reached during the 1980s of 1 in 42. The current probability of a pro- union worker being fired — a 1 in 53 chance — is far greater than the rate at the end of the 1990s, when it was only 1 in 87. The paper also finds that the number of successful union elections have significantly declined, partly as a result of the increase in illegal firings. “If only 10 percent of pro-union workers are active campaign organiz- ers, almost 1 in 5 union activists were fired illegally in 2005,” the authors said. Using annual data from the Na- tional Labor Relations Board on its determinations of “discriminatory dis- charges” in the context of union-elec- tion campaigns, Schmitt and Zipperer were able to estimate the probability of a pro-union worker being fired ille- gally in connection with a union-or- ganizing election, and to calculate other aspects of employer behavior and success rates in union-organizing elections. The complete report can be found at: www.cepr.net/documents/publica- tions/unions_2007_01.pdf The Center for Economic and Pol- icy Research is a nonpartisan think tank that was established to promote debate on economic and social issues that affect people’s lives. Oregon Governor’s Occupational Safety & Health Conference MARCH 12-15, 2007 Oregon Convention Center Portland Basic, intermediate and advanced workshops and sessions offering occupational safety and health solutions for: • Construction • General Industries • Healthcare • Manufacturing • Public agencies and utilities For Exhibits Application and Conference Registration: contact the Conference Section at (503) 378-3272 or e-mail: oregon.gosh@state.or.us Also, visit the following Web sites: assecwc.org orosha.org/conferences A joint effort of ASSE, Columbia-Willamette Chapter, and Oregon OSHA Karl Bik, Co-Chairman Cement Masons Trust Funds for Northern California The bank of labor has on-the-job experience in Taft-Hartley trust fund management supports you with an expert labor team and one easy point of contact offers investment solutions to build and protect your hard-earned funds gives workers the benefit of customized health and retirement plans has worked on behalf of unions for more than 50 years. Invest in you ® Labor Management Trust Services Trevor Lewis, Senior Vice President, (213) 236-4061 Jan Dawson, Vice President, (503) 450-1273 Louis Nagy, Vice President, (206) 587-3627 Labor Management Deposit Services Diane Williams, Senior Vice President & Manager, (213) 236-5085 John Mendoza, Vice President & Relationship Manager, (415) 705-7112 Visit us at unionbank.com JANUARY 19, 2007 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS ©2006 Union Bank of California, N.A. Member FDIC PAGE 5
