ENCOURAGING LABOR UNIONS IS GOOD FOR GUAM

Encouraging union growth in our island will help boost employee morale, increase productivity, and stimulate our economy. Labor unions were created to help workers negotiate for better wages, working conditions, and benefits. Giving workers the opportunity to collectively voice out concerns through a union creates a sense of unity and empowerment at the workplace which gives workers more pride in doing their job. The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and Bill 20, which repeals the Right to Work Law, are proposed legislation that will encourage union growth in our island. The EFCA will establish stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations. Bill 20 will require that non-union workers under a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) pay a fair share of the costs of negotiating their contract. When workers are able to easily form a union and share the costs of attaining a CBA, it gives them a chance to progress in their jobs and have a better quality of life.