We have an exciting year to come as the power of working families across the nation are standing up and making a difference. We can create as many jobs as we can but we can’t gain economic growth without having the power to bargain for better wages and working conditions. The Employee Free Choice Act will make it easier for employees to form unions and get a contract. The Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800, S. 1041), supported by a bipartisan coalition in Congress, would enable working people to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions by restoring workers’ freedom to choose for themselves whether to join a union. It would: Establish stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations; Provide mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes (PDF); Allow employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation. continue reading