Union Leaders Blasting Senator Roland Burris For Not Supporting Employee Free Choice Act

[Better Believe It]

Organized labor mad at Burris over union legislation
by Dan Mihalopoulos
Chicago Tribune
February 17, 2009

As if he wasn't dealing with enough this week, newly appointed Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) is coming in for heavy criticism from some of President Barack Obama's biggest backers in organized labor.

Union leaders are blasting Burris, saying he has not yet taken a clear position on legislation that would make it easier for workers to organize into unions.

When he was a U.S. senator, Obama had been a sponsor of the proposal, called the Employee Free Choice Act.

Dennis Gannon, head of the Chicago Federation of Labor, said he was frustrated after a recent meeting with a Burris aide who indicated that Obama's replacement in the Senate has not yet decided where he stands on the issue.

"The junior senator from Illinois has puzzled all of labor," Gannon said Monday. "You would think he would be out in front, agreeing to be a co-sponsor and saying he’ll vote for it. It’s time for him to step to the plate and make a decision on the most important piece of legislation for labor in 40 years."

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/02/organized-labor-mad-at-burris-over-.html#more

[Thrill]

1. Someone from Chicago called the Ed Schultz show the day Burris was named

Obama's replacement and said watch out for him. Because he is opposed to union.

And now I see this news. Guess that guy was right

[MNDemNY]

2. How do you expect him to ...

have made up his mind on this before he has sorted out all of the opposing offer$ ?

[Better Believe It]

3. Good point. I think corporations have a lot more money on the table than unions

[MNDemNY]

4. with any luck, that pinheaded hack will quit and go home.

After all, he can now add "U.S. Senator " to his precious crypt.

[pleah]

5. Burris is a total wack job.

Doesn't surprise me.

[damntexdem]

6. Blago, the gift that is still giving, and giving.

[Thrill]

7. WH voices concern about Burris

On the return journey to D.C, after Obama's speech in Mesa, Ariz., Robert Gibbs expressed displeasure with Burris's shifting story about his relationship with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. "Obviously Sen. Burris was seated based in some way on the representations that he made to the U.S. Senate and to the committee in Illinois investigating Gov. Blagojevich, and as well in interviews that the people of Illinois heard,” Gibbs said, according to the pool report. “I think that the people of Illinois deserve to know based on some of the things that have happened over the past few days, deserve to know the full extent of any involvement” Burris had with Blagojevich.