Teamsters President Jim Hoffa joined New York Senator Charles Schumer on Capitol Hill to urge passage of the Employee Right to Choose Act (S. 1513).

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Schumer, seeks to give greater recognition to the rights of workers to organize and bargain collectively.

“The last 20 years have seen a gradual assault on American workers and the unions that represent them,” Hoffa said. “Today 13.2 percent of American workers belong to unions, but as I travel around the country, I see many more who want to join unions but face daunting obstacles. This bill would ease those burdens.”

Hoffa and Sen. Schumer believe that workers are not joining unions because the legal process created almost 70 years ago no longer ensures a level playing field. The current legal framework is full of loopholes that favor employers. Sen. Schumer’s bill will attempt to amend the National Labor Relations Act to implement the more nonthreatening “card check” system, which has worked well in Canada and some industries in the United States.

Under this system, both the union and the company agree to remain neutral during the organizing process, and companies agree to recognize the union if enough workers sign union cards.

“Just as the Teamsters fight to level the playing field in international trade, we must fight to level the field here in American labor law,” Hoffa said. “This legislation will set limits on those employers who seek to intimidate and harass workers who want to join unions. This bill’s passage is past due.”