Of all the topical national workplace legislation, passed and pending, we continue to get more questions with respect to the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA)–what it is and how it works–than any other single piece of legislation in current memory.  These questions come from not only our Central Florida partners seeking strategic Human Resources solutions, but from the general business community at large.

The short answer is that the Act circumvents the current requirement for a secret ballot election in the event enough employees sign a union authorization card. The longer answer is that the EFCA  radically changes the law that has been on the books since the 1930’s which allows for unionization of the workplace. Essentially, it’s a “fast track” to unionization. In the event the EFCA passes and is signed into law, there will be little time to prepare for its immediate impact.

We do know that the EFCA is high on the President’s legislative agenda and we anticipate a heated debate in the U.S. Senate this summer.  

We urge all of our friends who are concerned, or simply curious, about this critical issue to ensure that there is someone “on point” within their organization who understands how to navigate this highly important workplace issue and how to speak to employees who may have their own questions and ideas as to the EFCA. 

As a former Boy Scout, I remember my Scoutmaster’s words to this day: “Be prepared.”

Rick