Niccollai Addresses Key Reforms on the Congressional Docket

5/13/2009 At the May 12 General Membership Meeting in Yonkers, NY, UFCW Local 464A President, John T. Niccollai addressed two important social initiatives currently being reviewed by the U. S. Congress for legislative action, healthcare reform and the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).

On healthcare reform Niccollai said:

“Healthcare costs are out of control and rising 15% to 20% each year. Part of the reason for this increase is the 47 million Americans who have no healthcare insurance. When these individuals need care hospitals and other medical facilities must absorb the cost. These institutions do this by raising the cost of care for everyone else. This, in turn, drives health insurance premiums and co-pays higher. Fifteen years ago when the Clinton Administration attempted reforms they tried to solve the problem by making all Americans, insured and uninsured, pay 50% of their healthcare insurance. That failed because many individuals benefited from plans like the one provided through UFCW Local 464A where members pay no monthly insurance premium.
President Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress do not want to infringe upon those who have healthcare coverage that they are satisfied with today. Instead his plan wants to focus upon these 47 million uninsured and find a way to give them coverage while reducing the out of control increase in healthcare costs for everyone. What he is proposing has a good chance of passing in Congress and we should be ready as members of Local 464A, to support his efforts with letters to our Congressional Representatives and other actions.”

On Employee Free Choice Niccollai commented:
“EFCA reforms how unions can be organized. Today employers can unfairly influence their workers decisions to join a union through a variety of tactics. One way is to threaten their jobs. Another is to stall elections for such long periods of time that those employees who favor a union eventually leave for jobs elsewhere. Other tactics even violate the law, but when unfair labor complaints are finally heard by the Department of Labor the employees who favored a union have been let go and replaced by other workers. Even when a union does win an election employers drag out the contract negotiations for so long that many employees leave in disillusionment.
These practices would all be ended under Employee free Choice. EFCA will require workers who want union representation to simply sign a card. If a majority signs then the employer must recognize and bargain in good faith with the union. If negotiations do not result in a contract within a reasonable timeframe then an arbitrator is brought in to finalize a fair bargaining agreement.”
Niccollai went on to say he did not believe that EFCA will come up for passage this year. “Be ready next year.” He said, “Then your support will be vital to getting this critical new law on the books.”