The Acts of Convention

House of Deputies

The House of Deputies Committee on National and International Concerns presented its Report #19 on Resolution D039 (Fix Our Broken Labor Laws) and moved adoption with amendment.

Original Text of Resolution:

(D039)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 76th General Convention of The Episcopal Church urge the Congress of the United States to pass, and the President to sign it into law, labor law reform legislation designed to better protect employees seeking to engage in collective bargaining, to simplify and streamline the procedures by which employees may choose to organize, and to assist employers and employees in reaching agreement. Said legislation should contain the following elements:

1. Provide workers the choice of seeking union recognition either through an election, or through a majority sign-up on cards which are then verified by the National Labor Relations Board.

2. Adopt more effective remedies for violations of employees’ rights, comparable to the remedies for discrimination provided by existing civil rights laws.

3. Where the employers and unions are unable to reach agreement on their first collective bargaining agreement within a reasonable period of time, resolve the dispute by submitting it to mediation and neutral, binding arbitration; and be it further

Resolved, That church members and the Office of Government Relations communicate the position of The Episcopal Church on this issue to the President and Members of Congress, and advocate passage of federal legislation consistent with this resolution.

Committee Amendment:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the 76th General Convention of The Episcopal Church urge the Congress of the United States to pass, and the President to sign itinto law, labor law reform legislation designed to better protect employees seeking to engage in collective bargaining, to simplify and streamline the procedures by which employees may choose to organize, and to assist employers and employees in reaching agreement. Said legislation should contain the following elements:

1. Provide workers the choice of seeking union recognition either through an election, or through a majority sign-up on cards which are then verified by the National Labor Relations Board.

2. Adopt more effective remedies for violations of employees’ rights, comparable to the remedies for discrimination provided by existing civil rights laws.

3. Where the employers and unions are unable to reach agreement on their first collective bargaining agreement within a reasonable period of time, resolve the dispute by submitting it to mediation and if mediation is unsuccessful, then to neutral,binding arbitration; and be it further

Resolved, That church members and the Office of Government Relations communicate the position of The Episcopal Church on this issue to the President and Members of Congress, and advocate passage of federal legislation consistent with this resolution.

Deputy Kammerer of Tennessee moved to amend the resolution.

Proposed Amendment:

In the first resolve clause in Section 1, delete the words “, or through a majority sign-up on cards which are then verified by the National Labor Relations Board.”

Motion defeated

Amendment defeated

A vote was taken on Resolution D039 as amended.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #190)