Gangbox: THE DEMOCRATS STAB UNIONS IN THE BACK ON EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE

[Omaha Steve]

http://gangbox.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/the-democrats-stab-unions-in-the-back-on-employee-free-choice/

Posted in Uncategorized by gangbox on the July 18, 2009

from the NEW YORK TIMES:

Democrats Drop Key Part of Bill to Assist Unions

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By STEVEN GREENHOUSE

Published: July 16, 2009

A half-dozen senators friendly to labor have decided to drop a central provision of a bill that would have made it easier to organize workers.



Win McNamee/Getty Images

Arlen Specter, left, shown with Senator Al Franken, was one of the six Democratic senators who worked to revamp the bill.


The so-called card-check provision — which senators decided to scrap to help secure a filibuster-proof 60 votes — would have required employers to recognize a union as soon as a majority of workers signed cards saying they wanted a union. Currently, employers can insist on a secret-ballot election, a higher hurdle for unions.

The abandonment of card check was another example of the power of moderate Democrats to constrain their party’s more liberal legislative efforts. Though the Democrats have a 60-40 vote advantage in the Senate, and President Obama supports the measure, several moderate Democrats opposed the card-check provision as undemocratic.

In its place, several Senate and labor officials said, the revised bill would require shorter unionization campaigns and faster elections.

While disappointed with the failure of card check, union leaders argued this would still be an important victory because it would give companies less time to press workers to vote against unionizing.

Some business leaders hailed the dropping of card check, while others called the move a partial triumph because the bill still contained provisions they oppose.

The card-check provision was so central to the legislation that it was known as “the card-check bill.” Labor had called the bill its No. 1 objective, and both labor and business deployed their largest, most expensive lobbying campaigns ever in the battle over it.

“This is a very emotional issue,” said Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the Republican turned Democrat who had been lobbied heavily by both sides. “I cannot remember an issue this emotional in all my years in the Senate.”

FULL story at link.

[BlooInBloo]

1. And Sestak gets a boost.

[Curtland1015]

2. Hooray. The "moderates" screw us over again. We really ARE our greatest enemy.

It's unbelievable.