Union Head Would Back Bill Without Card Check

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/05/business/05labor.html?_r=1

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
WASHINGTON — The A.F.L.-C.I.O.’s president has signaled a significant shift to try to move a long-stalled pro-union bill, saying he would support a change that calls for speedy unionization elections, a provision that would replace the much-attacked card-check provision.

In an interview, John J. Sweeney, the federation’s president, said he would accept a fast election campaign instead of card check because it would meet his goal of minimizing management interference during organizing drives.

Mr. Sweeney said he “could live with” fast or snap elections “as long as there is a fair process that protects workers against anti-union intimidation by employers and eliminates the threats to workers.”

--snip--

In an interview Thursday evening, Richard Trumka, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.’s secretary-treasurer, who will become the federation’s president on Sept. 16, stopped short of endorsing fast elections.

He said the A.F.L.-C.I.O. wanted to make sure that any legislation contained three components: a process in which workers were free of intimidation; greater penalties against employers that break the law during organizing drives, for instance by firing outspoken union supporters; and binding arbitration to prevent employers from indefinitely dragging out negotiations without ever reaching a contract.

--snip--

David Bonior, a former House Democratic Whip who heads a group, America Rights at Work, that has campaigned for the pro-union bill, said he still hoped card check could be salvaged.

“The first preference for everybody in labor is the original bill,” he said. “And if we preserve the principles of the original bill and there are some changes — and if we can get 80 to 90 percent of what we started with — I think people would move forward on that.”

More At Link.

about the public option--it is their preference, BUT..............





The first preference for everybody in labor is the original bill,”

:shrug:

Support EFCA, don't support card check.

Must've missed the part where he expended 1/100th of an ounce of political capital "supporting" EFCA.

Hmmmmm, so how fast and how frequently could a group have these "fast elections".

Card check seems like a good idea to me, because it would allow an organization to "take the temperature" of the situation and then adapt what they're working on accordingly. Am I mistaken in this?

A quick winner-takes-all process doesn't seem like it would meet the needs of Labor very well, if at all.

IIRC. If a bargaining unit lost, they would have to wait 12 months to re-petition, and if they won, a de-cert vote would have to wait an equal amount of time from the day they are certified by the NLRB. EFCA, as presently written, does not seek to amend those provisions.

As for the quick elections, it doesn't matter if an employer is still allowed to game the system by filing endless appeals, engaging in "surface" bargaining, etc. My co-workers and I won our election 26 MONTHS ago, and not only do we not have a contract, we have not even been RECOGNIZED by our employer---our "case" now stands in an Appelate Court...which our employer has delayed endlessly & repeatedly.

"Sacred" Secret Ballot? Not from my view here in the cheap seats.

"A quick winner-takes-all process doesn't seem like it would meet the needs of Labor very well, if at all."

A quick winner takes all process is EXACTLY what EFCA with card-check & arbitration-mediation seeks to achieve, since no Labor org will petition using card check with less than 50%, No?

there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking Health Care advocates to work with you to support EFCA. Such support between issue groups is the only thing we have working for us until we get: Campaign Finance Reform, Re-Districting, and Voting Reform/Paper Ballots, Marked by Hand, and Counted in Public on a National Voting Holiday (preferably a Friday).

Solidarity, Earth Bound Misfit.

:patriot:

We ARE Slaves to Trans-national, state-less, financial entities. There's nothing left to do but to Fight to build our own thing.

:patriot:

that still meets the objectives of the bill.

I'm okay with that.