Julian Bond: It's time for new era of workers' rights

Julian Bond  —  10/03/2008 9:19 am

In baseball, there are some constants: 90 feet between bases, 60 feet 6 inches from the pitcher's mound to home plate, and New Era caps on every player's head. Indeed, it is impossible to separate the exclusive cap supplier for Major League Baseball from America's favorite pastime. For New Era workers in Mobile, Ala., however, the American dream has not always been a constant. Concerns of racial discrimination, poor wages, and threats of layoffs characterized the experience of too many plant employees.

It was in this climate that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, student groups, religious organizations, and the labor community stepped in. The charge was simple yet not easy: help New Era employees gain their first union contract. Workers at the plant, many of whom are African-American, joined the Teamsters union in July 2007, but initially met resistance from some management operatives during bargaining. The NAACP investigated allegations of racial and employment discrimination and unfair layoffs, detailed in our comprehensive report, "Racial Discrimination, Repression, and Retaliation at New Era Cap."

Clearly, the situation was unacceptable and needed to change. Student groups helped convince universities selling New Era's merchandise, like the University of Wisconsin, to pressure the company to rectify the many wrongs at its Mobile plant. The Teamsters worked tirelessly to provide a fair contract for their new members.

In the end, the joint efforts of many progressive groups culminated in New Era and the Mobile workers reaching a historic contract agreement in February 2008, including provisions for higher hourly wages and more health care coverage, and to address the workers' rights violations detailed by our report. Teamsters President James Hoffa praised the contract, saying, "We feel confident that New Era Cap is committed to providing a diverse workplace where everyone is respected, supported, and provided with opportunity. The proposed contract will provide a framework that will benefit New Era workers and the company's growth."

While the victory in Mobile is an important one, the struggles endured by these workers are by no means isolated. All across America, men and women searching for a better life through joining a union are often fired, intimidated, or discriminated against. Employers spend millions on anti-union campaigns and threaten to downsize or outsource in the face of organizing campaigns. This has led to a drop in union membership, which has coincided with a widening income gap in America.

While the risks for workers who want a union are staggering, the benefits for those who have union representation are incredibly important. According to a 2008 report released by the Economic Policy Institute, African-American workers in unions make 18 percent more in wages than their non-union counterparts, and for African-American men, that number jumps to 23 percent. The critical economic advantages unions provide workers underscore why the NAACP -- the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization -- strongly supports the Employee Free Choice Act.

Currently awaiting passage in Congress, the Employee Free Choice Act will help level the playing field by giving employees a free and direct path to form unions, toughen penalties against employers who break the law, and help restore balance to our obsolete federal labor laws. If the bill's provisions were in effect while New Era workers were trying to form their union, the process would have been far simpler and more equitable.

In our current economy, the ability to organize collectively is vital for workers, especially those at risk for discrimination. The American dream should be a constant, and one that is available to all of America's workers. The best way to achieve this goal is to make the Employee Free Choice Act the law of the land.

Julian Bond is chairman of the NAACP board and a board member of American Rights at Work.

Julian Bond  —  10/03/2008 9:19 am