Posts tagged Barbara Gleim
Pennsylvania House Committee Passes Forced-Unionism Amendment
May 4, 2023 // “No law shall be passed that interferes with, negates or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively over their wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment and work place safety,” the proposed amendment reads. State Representative Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Philadelphia), the avowed socialist who authored the bill, claimed in committee testimony that employers routinely violate workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain. She said some employers hold seminars and “bombard” employees with literature meant to “scare” workers out of unionizing. “This constitutional amendment will help prevent future attacks on workers and their rights,” Fiedler said. “And, with this constitutional amendment, we can prevent future laws that seek to silence workers. Strong unions benefit everyone and the decline of unions has played a big role in rising inequality and wage stagnation.”
Right-to-unionize amendment clears Pa. House committee
May 2, 2023 // The House Labor and Industry Committee reported out the proposal introduced by Reps. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Philadelphia, and Nick Pisciottano, D-Allegheny, with a 12-9 vote. Republicans, who questioned the amendment’s impact on other laws, were unanimous in opposition. “This bill is really, really simple,” Fiedler said. “It would enshrine in the state Constitution the right of workers to organize and collectively bargain, period, exclamation point.” To amend the state Constitution, a proposed amendment must be approved by both chambers of the General Assembly in consecutive sessions. The proposal is then put before voters in a referendum. The earliest the right-to-unionize amendment could appear on the ballot would be the 2025 primary election.