Please note: This event has been canceled.

In a new report, noted economist and UCLA professor Lee E. Ohanian analyzes the economic implications of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) on the U.S. economy. EFCA, even without its recently dropped card check provision, is arguably the most significant and controversial proposed change to existing labor law in decades. If passed, it would make it easier for unions to organize by requiring shorter organization campaigns and faster union elections, insert federal control into the mediation and arbitration process, and raise penalties on employers who illegally hinder a union organizing campaign. EFCA supporters assert that this legislation is necessary because it would reverse the decades-long decline in unionization rates and raise the salaries of low-wage workers. Opponents argue that unions decrease profitability, distort markets, and reduce U.S. competitiveness. The real question is whether increased unionization will ultimately help or harm the American workforce and U.S. prosperity.      

At this event, Ohanian will disclose his research findings and discuss the potential impact of EFCA on U.S. unemployment rates, GDP, and the overall economy.