There were few details reported about a White House meeting earlier this week between President Obama and card check supporters. But we do know some things. First, the Employee Free Choice Act was a topic of discussion. Second, supporters said President Obama’s commitment to the bill is “strong” even though it’s been in limbo for months. The Associated Press sets the scene: "Obama met for about an... Read more »
Not content with trying to take away workers’ right to a secret ballot on a national level, many card check supporters have been trying to pass similar laws in state legislatures across the country. But like their attempts in Congress, there have been few major victories. The latest defeat arrived yesterday from the Aloha State, as Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a statewide card check measure. Th... Read more »
467,000 jobs lost last month. 6.5 million jobs lost since the recession began. If ever there were a time to stand up for small businesses, it would be now. So what have congressional Democrats done for small businesses this week? Inexplicably, they’ve launched an assault on them in order to pay for their government takeover of our health care system. “House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled sweeping h... Read more »
For months, supporters of the Employee Free Choice Act have been pushing for its passage in Congress. They have held rallies. They have run ad campaigns. They even enlisted cast members from “The West Wing” to help them out. The result from all this work? Let’s go to the scoreboard, courtesy of Rasmussen Reports: “[A] new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 52% of adults do not ... Read more »
As House Democrats prepare to unveil controversial legislation to orchestrate a federal takeover of our nation’s health care system, divisions among their ranks appear to be growing. The Wall Street Journal reports on the Democrat-on-Democrat infighting this morning: “The effort to pass a health-care overhaul is being frustrated by divisions among Democrats over a wide range of issues, from how to... Read more »
If you’re not sure about how the binding arbitration sections of the Employee Free Choice Act could affect America’s struggling economy, take a look at Michigan and Massachusetts. That’s what Forbes columnist Shikha Dalmia did in a Wall Street Journal op-ed over the weekend, and she found that binding arbitration rules in those states devastated their economies. Here’s what she writes about Michig... Read more »
Call it the curse of card check. Like the monster in a bad horror movie, the latest nightmare scenario making its way through Washington is the theory that the Employee Free Choice Act can return to wreak havoc on workers’ rights and the economy – even if it dies in the Senate, where it has been dormant like a sleeping vampire for months. Workforce Management magazine notes that card check advocat... Read more »
With Democrats now officially able to count 60 votes among their ranks in the Senate, the Employee Free Choice Act should be easy to pass in that chamber because – on paper – they have enough votes to stop a possible Republican filibuster against the anti-worker proposal. But it turns out it’s not that easy. The New York Times today offers a glimpse about why several Democratic senators are sittin... Read more »
Almost five months after the Democrats’ much-heralded economic stimulus package was signed into law and a week after it was revealed that the unemployment rate has reached its highest level in more than a quarter-century, the American people are left asking: where are the jobs? “With unemployment already at 9.5 percent and likely to exceed 10 percent, much higher than White House officials predict... Read more »
It appears that America’s northern neighbors may be rooting for enactment of the Employee Free Choice Act – but not for the reason you might think. Canadians have plenty of experience with the public sign-up card check process for forming unions, and that experience has been anything but positive. In fact, card check and the arbitration that accompanies it have wreaked havoc on their economy, leav... Read more »