EFCA gives workers the right to choose a union, either in a closed election or with a majority signing pledge cards. It forces employers to negotiate in good faith, requiring arbitration if no agreement is reached. It stiffens penalties on employers for violating workers' rights.

. . . this isn't just a union fight. As the president suggests, this is a central fight for an economy that works. If workers are paid decently, families needn't take on massive debts to educate their children or afford their home. Social Security remains secure if workers once more capture a fair share of the profits they produce. CEOs and speculators have a more difficult time cooking the books if they must negotiate with strong unions. To build an economy that works, strong unions aren't the only answer, but they are central part of the answer.

    The campaign on EFCA will be fierce. Gaining 60 votes won't be easy. The business community will go all out, claiming that strong unions will ruin America, trample workers' freedoms, drive jobs abroad. But we've tried an economy with weak unions - and that didn't work out so well.

Go here to check out the whole article:  http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2009031004/obamas-next-gauntlet-reviving-middle-class