Anti-EFCA group uses Memorial Day to push message

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) invoked Memorial Day and veterans in the latest salvo against the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), organized by a leading group opposed to the labor legislation.

“The right to vote without fear of intimidation and the right to have a say in contract negotiations are central to the freedoms our veterans have defended,” Coffman said in a radio actuality. “As we observe the sacrifices our veterans have made in defense of our nation, it is critically important not to lose sight of the freedoms they fought to preserve.”

The Teamsters also released a video with a veteran’s perspective, arguing that anyone who fights for Americans’ rights overseas should have the right to join a union. (See the Teamsters’ video below.)

The Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI) linked soldiers’ sacrifices remembered on Memorial Day to domestic freedoms the group says EFCA would erode.

“Thanks to these dedicated men and women who served in our Armed Forces, Americans enjoy many rights, one of which is the freedom to vote by secret ballot,” WFI’s Jason McBride wrote to supporters. “That’s why [EFCA] is so dangerous. It eliminates freedoms that should be cherished and guarded — freedoms that so many have fought to defend.”

Here’s the radio spot:

Here’s the Teamsters’ video: