Group says EFCA would benefit Granite State

A New Hampshire health care group says that the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would help the state’s economy and workers.

“The bill could provide a major boost to the economy by helping workers share in the prosperity that they help create,” the group NH for Healthcare wrote in a press release. “A report released last month from the Center for American Progress showed that if even 5% more of New Hampshire’s workers joined unions, $82 million would be pumped into the state’s economy each year.”

According to the group, The Employee Free Choice Act “restores the option of ‘majority sign-up,’ in addition to elections, to ensure that workers, not employers decide how to form a union. That is, when a majority of workers sign cards saying they want to form a union, this legislation levels the playing field so they have a fair chance to do so. It creates meaningful penalties for employers who break the law to harass or fire workers. It ensures that workers have a fair chance at winning a contract guaranteeing their wages and benefits.”

In New Hampshire labor organizations such as the New Hampshire AFL-CIO, AFSCME, SEIU, and NEA, as well as community organizations – the New Hampshire Citizens Alliance, Sierra Club, Granite State Organizing Project, and Working Families Win are helping to push support for EFCA.

Congressman Paul Hodes Introduces Legislation to Preserve White House Records

From U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes:

Congressman Paul Hodes, member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, introduced legislation, H.R. 1387, the Electronic Message Preservation Act that would require the White House to preserve all electronic communications. Today, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee marked up the legislation and passed it by a voice vote.

The legislation resulted from an investigation conducted by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that revealed significant deficiencies in the preservation of e-mail by the White House and federal agencies. The measure was introduced last year by Congressman Paul Hodes, Chairman Henry Waxman and Congressman Lacy Clay. It passed the House of Representatives last year but stalled in the Senate.

“The people of the United States deserve an open and honest record of the actions of all administrations, regardless of party,” Congressman Paul Hodes said. “This bill will ensure that actions taken by the Executive Branch are transparent and that they can be held accountable to the public.”