After months of speculation regarding when the Congressional debate over the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would begin, this controversial legislation was re-introduced today in both the United States Senate (S. 560) and the House of Representatives (H. 1409). As reported in previous updates and E-lerts, EFCA would eliminate secret ballot union elections, dramatically change the process by which a first collective bargaining agreement is negotiated, and significantly increase the penalties employers face for unfair labor practices without imposing stiffer sanctions for labor unions. For more information on EFCA, please contact your Elarbee Thompson attorney and review the Firm's previous articles on the subject in our labor & employment briefing and a recent "Pro/Con" article in the Atlanta Journal & Constitution written by Elarbee Thompson attorney - Lee Creasman.