Hillary Clinton
In response to CWA's questionnaire, Hillary Rodham Clinton said the following about the Employee Free Choice Act:
I'm a proud cosponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act because I believe that strong unions are critical for a strong middle class. I understand that enacting the EFCA into law is going to take strong presidential leadership, and that’s what I will provide. I will also make clear to Members of Congress that this is a high priority for my Administration, and I will use the bully pulpit to establish a pro-labor tone in Washington and throughout the country from my first day in office. Having represented a state that is home to one in every seven union members in the America, I will help educate Members of Congress about how this bill will improve the lives of millions of Americans, and I will put pressure on Republicans to support the bill. I voted for this bill and gave a vigorous statement of support when the Republicans defeated it and President Bush threatened to veto it. I also spoke at a rally at the Capitol in support of EFCA, and wrote a Dear Colleague letter with Senator Kennedy urging my colleagues in the Senate to cosponsor and vote for the legislation. Because I have real concerns about unchecked corporate power, I believe we need the Employee Free Choice Act to restore balance for our workers.
Throughout the process of pushing the bill, I will partner with the labor movement to explain to all unrepresented workers what it means to be able to bargain collectively for better wages, meaningful benefits and a safe workplace. Many Americans have been led to believe that they don’t need unions anymore, or that unions are outdated. I disagree. I believe that unions are more important than ever to restore balance help us usher in a modern progressive era -- a movement that will strengthen the middle class and strengthen us as a nation. It is clear America needs a President who can make the case to all citizens that it is in everyone's interest for our workers to have basic rights to be in a union that can secure them what they deserve for the work they do.
I’ve said before that unions created the middle class in this country -- and unions help sustain it. And I will partner with the labor movement to send this message to the American people when I am President. I will work tirelessly to get the votes we need, and I will not give up until we get there. I understand the importance of the Employee Free Choice Act because I’ve been fighting for working families for more than 35 years. I know that much of what we want to accomplish – creating good jobs, providing for a secure retirement for you and your families, giving workers a voice at the table – depend on making it possible for more workers to organize.