Contact your members of Congress
to enlist their support

There are a number of legislative proposals pending in the U.S. Congress that address issues of importance to AFT members—and the labor movement. Contact your members of Congress and tell them to support these initiatives. Visit www.aft.org/legislative_action_center.

■ Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82/S. 206) would repeal provisions of Social Security law that unfairly reduce retirement benefits for many state, local and federal government employees.

Specifically, the Government Pension Offset (GPO) reduces or eliminates Social Security benefits by subtracting two-thirds of the government pension from the Social Security spousal benefit a government employee is eligible to receive based on a spouse’s work history.

The Windfall Elimination Provision reduces Social Security benefits for workers who earned both their own Social Security benefit and a public pension.

■ Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800/S. 1041) would amend national labor laws in three main ways: strengthen penalties against companies that break the law when employees try to form unions, establish mediation and arbitration when a first contract can’t be reached, and enable workers to form unions when a majority sign union authorization cards. (The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 800 by a vote of 241-185 on March 1.)

■ Fairness for State and Local Workers Act (H.R. 1517) would expand Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 protections to state and local government employees.

■ Re-Empowerment of Skilled and Professional Employees and Construction Tradeworkers (RESPECT) Act (H.R. 1644/S. 969) would amend the National Labor Relations Act to clarify the difference between supervisors and employees. The legislation stems from an October 2006 decision by the National Labor Relations Board that opened the door for employers to strip millions of workers of their right to union protections by reclassifying them as supervisors under a number of scenarios, including if the employee assigns another employee to a particular location or if the employee is held accountable for the tasks they assign.

■ Protecting America’s Workers Act (H.R. 2049/S. 1244) would extend worker health and safety protections to all public sector employees. The legislation also would increase penalties against employers for violations of the law and would compel employers to provide necessary safety equipment to their workers for hazardous conditions on the job.

■ Safe Nursing and Patient Care Act (H.R. 2122) would allow nurses to volunteer for overtime but it would prohibit the use of mandatory overtime except in emergency situations.

■ Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act (H.R. 2123) would establish minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios.