We have heard a lot about two pending bills in Congress: the Express Carrier Employee Protection Act and the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Both are very important to workers in America and to labor constituents.

But the bills are totally different.At this time, EFCA simply does not apply to FedEx Express workers.Here is a brief explanation of both bills. The Express Carrier Employee Protection legislation is part of the FAA Reauthorization Bill, H.R.915. This bill will help FedEx Express employees regain our rights of freedom of association which FedEx stripped from us back in 1996.

The Express Carrier Employee Protection legislation makes sure that FedEx Express employees are covered by the appropriate labor laws: Licensed air employees under the Railway Labor Act and non-licensed employees under the National Labor Relations Act.

EFCA would give organizing under the National Labor Relations Act some teeth and lays out a simpler process for recognizing a union for those employees that are covered by the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Act.

In the event Congress passes the Express Carrier Employee Protection Act; all of the non-licensed employees of FedEx Express would fall under the rules of the National Labor Relations Act and EFCA would then apply to them.