Union Membership as a Civil Right

A friend referred me to this recent (but not burning hot) post by David Sirota at InTheseTimes.com.

The idea: Add Union Membership into the Civil Rights Act.

The goal: Change corporate behavior. Sirota writes:

For example, because the Civil Rights Act bars racial discrimination, businesses
are motivated to try to prevent bigotry: They want to avoid being sued. This is
why no company brags about being racist.

But when it comes to unions, there is no such deterrent. The lack of civil rights protection effectively encourages businesses to punish pro-union employees — and publicize the abuse to intimidate their workforce. By making the six words law, the dynamic would shift. Companies would have a reason — fear of litigation — to respect workers’ rights.

The man behind the idea: Tom Geoghegan (who is also my employer)