Some bills languish in Congress for years or decades before they get a vote. But Big Labor’s priority — while being introduced just days ago — is already being considered for the Senate schedule.
While Democrats in Congress want the Card Check Scam Bill to pass Congress faster than a greased pig, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid admits opposition is stalling the bill’s “progress.” Keep in mind, the bill was just introduced, but, the Big Labor supporting Senate is already talking about moving it to the floor.
Roll Call (subscription required) reports:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) acknowledged Tuesday that fierce resistance from Republicans and business groups could force him to delay action on controversial card check legislation sought by unions.
Reid told reporters Tuesday that work on the bill is progressing, but the measure, which would let workers join a union by signing union-issued cards instead of holding a vote by secret ballot, could be completed before the August recess only with Republican help.
“If Republicans will work with us just a little bit, we could get it done before the August recess,” Reid said.
But Republican leaders and the business community have launched a major campaign to kill the legislation. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he thinks the ultimate chances of passing the measure are “bleak.”
“We’re going to strenuously object to it, fight it in every way and hopefully defeat it,” McConnell said.
Reid effectively needs to run the table to end debate and bring card check to a final vote. He has to hold every Democratic vote, seat Al Franken (D) as the junior Senator from Minnesota and keep the vote of Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), the only Republican to vote to end debate the last time the bill came to the floor. All other Republicans are expected to vote against cloture, and GOP leadership blasted the bill in scathing terms as a job killer.
Reid on Tuesday sought to downplay divisions within his own Conference over the legislation, saying that he believes Democrats will remain united on the measure when it does finally come to the floor. “I think, frankly, they’re there,” Reid said when asked if enough Democratic votes could be found to pass the bill.
But even as Reid was speaking before the television cameras, several conservative Democrats expressed concerns about moving forward with the legislation amid an all-out lobbying effort by the business community and in the teeth of the recession.
“It’s a distraction and divisive,” said Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), who said the focus should remain on the economy. “We don’t need to go there.”
“At the present time, I would have difficulty supporting it,” Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said. But Nelson suggested he could be persuaded depending on how the bill is amended. “I’m just keeping an open mind on that.”
Fellow Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor (D) said there could be room for compromise on the issue. “My sense is we can find common ground on this, but we’re not there right now,” he said.
Supporters of workers’ choice and secret ballots need also to read between the lines of the comments by Sens. Nelson and Pryor. Each are carefully suggesting there may be room for compromise and amendment on the issue. There is none. The key and only important vote on the bill will be the “cloture” vote — the motion to bring the bill to the Senate floor. That requires 60 votes. A vote to bring the bill to the floor is the same as voting to support it. If you live in Nebraska or Arkansas, make that clear to your distinguished Senators.
After union lawyers’ attempt to get the NLRB to block the vote failed, CWA union bosses backed down and departed AT&T workplace rather than face workers’ vote
Mark Mix Voices His Concerns On Tennessee’s WDEF News 12 as Big Labor Prepares for a Card Check Election at the Chattanooga Volkswagen Plant.
“Employees who are the targets of union organizing campaigns, and who do not want to be subject to monopoly union representation, must be vigilant about their rights after Cemex,” the notice reads