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Sometimes unions go too far. Consider General Motors Corp. as an example. But that doesn’t prove that unions are always a bad idea, because sometimes unorganized workers need help. See Wal-Mart Stores Inc. as an example.

Wal-Mart made news recently when the company reportedly told its managers which way to vote in the presidential election. One reason for the huge merchandiser’s concern: the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a bill that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last year but set aside by the Senate.

Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar was quoted in The Wall Street Journal: “We believe EFCA is a bad bill, and we have been on record as opposing it for some time. We feel educating our associates about the bill is the right thing to do.”

So the company apparently suggested voting Republican, fearing that a Democratic president would push for the bill’s passage.

EFCA is no magic cure-all for efforts to organize workers. Most of the debate centers on whether it’s better to form unions by holding secret votes or simply signing cards.

However, the bill also would impose penalties on companies that unfairly discriminate against union-oriented workers. Wal-Mart has shown it has a lot at stake in this area.

The National Labor Relations Board has ruled in several cases that Wal-Mart had engaged in unfair labor practices to prevent unionization.

One example: In 2000, workers in the meat-cutting department of a Texas Wal-Mart voted to unionize. Wal-Mart announced two weeks later that it would be closing its meat-cutting departments nationwide. Four employees who voted in favor of the union were fired. A National Labor Relations Board judge didn’t go for the company’s argument that it was all coincidence.

Congress needs to get back to this and pass EFCA or rework it without diluting its power. It would be a good start toward creating more reasonable working conditions for employees who are being treated unfairly.