The legislation, passed 241-185 on a nearly party-line vote, would take away the right of employers to demand secret-ballot elections by workers before unions could be recognized

''It's simply about establishing fairness in the workplace,'' said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said the real issue was ''taking care of union bosses.''

Labor groups saw the Employee Free Choice Act as one way of halting the downward trend of union membership, now about 12 percent of the work force.

Labor groups contend that secret-ballot elections have become a means for employers to intimidate workers into rejecting unions.

The legislation would certify a union as soon as a majority of workers at a plant signed cards authorizing it. Currently, employers can require elections, overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, on whether a union should be recognized.