WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP | Union leaders and supporters of the Employee Free Choice Act gathered Wednesday to garner support for the legislation and plan ways to spread the message about it.

Supporters met at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 1227 office and spoke, called members of Congress or wrote letters to them.

Local 1227 President Donald Steinke attended a similar event in Hammond recently and thought one needed to take place closer to Valparaiso, because there are union and nonunion workers in Porter County who may not have heard the message.

Steinke clarified misconceptions he thinks people may have heard about the act. He said detractors are worried that secret ballots on union matters would be eliminated and union coercion would increase, points Steinke disagrees with. Also, he said the act would make it possible for companies to be penalized up to $20,000 for violating national labor laws.

"In the past, companies have fired union organizers within their shop and right now, the union could file charges on that, but there are no penalties for the company," Steinke said.

AFL-CIO spokeswoman Kaitlin DeCero, who works out of Indianapolis, said the act didn't make it out of the Senate in a previous legislative session but hoped more support would be available this time around.

"We're happy to have an administration that sees the benefit of this bill for working families, small-business owners and the overall economy," DeCero said. "We believe this bill is vital to our economic renewal."

Renaye Manley, organizing director of Interfaith Worker Justice in Chicago, said she attended because the legislation supports working families in Lake and Porter counties. Manley also is establishing plans to help get the measure passed.

"We're mobilizing folks to meet with clergy in states such as Indiana. and we're getting a really good response to this," Manley said.