The labor group voted 16-to-10 in favor of naming political activist Harriet Applegate as its new executive secretary. One of her goals is to maintain the group's focus on politics and organizing. And, says she'll work hard to support laws, such as the proposed Employee Free Choice Act, that make it easier for workers to unionize. The bill, she says, would allow workers to decide if they want to be represented by a union.
Harriet Applegate: If 50% plus 1% of the people in any of given potential bargaining units say they would like to have a union, they get a union. We call that. That's called card check recognition.
Applegate says about 1 in 6 people who try to organize unions is fired. She says the card check could potentially lessen intimidation by employers. The House has already passed the bill and it's now under consideration in the Senate. Tasha Flournoy, 90.3.