Forty prominent economists, including three Nobel laureates, have signed onto a statement in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act written by EPI President Lawrence Mishel, Richard Freeman of Harvard and Frank Levy of MIT. Citing the recent unprecedented growth of inequality in household income and the urgent need to give workers more bargaining power to counter national and global trends, Freeman, Levy and Mishel wrote that the proposal is an essential step toward rebuilding a solid middle class.

“A rising tide lifts all boats only when labor and management bargain on relatively equal terms,” the statement says. “In recent decades, most bargaining power has resided with management. The current recession will further weaken the ability of workers to bargain individually. More than ever, workers will need to act together. The Employee Free Choice Act is not a panacea, but it would restore some balance to our labor markets.  As economists, we believe this is a critically important step in rebuilding our economy and strengthening our democracy by enhancing the voice of working people in the workplace.” The statement will appear in a full-page ad in the Washington Post on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Repubs hate the act….but there is a growing amount of support for the act among economists.