A coalition of business groups and other organizations opposed to the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) wrote President Obama Wednesday, asking for a meeting with the president similar to one he held with labor groups earlier this week.
The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, a confederation of 13 organizations opposed to EFCA (or "card check"), asked Obama for a meeting to explain their opposition to the union organizing legislation.
"According to media reports, you and your staff met recently with the leaders of several labor organizations, and the labor leaders discussed their continuing support for the [EFCA] to be brought to a vote in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives," the coalition wrote. "We would be pleased to meet, at your convenience, and bring you serious, reasoned arguments against card-check organizing and government-mandated, binding interest arbitration."
President Obama met with leaders of the AFL-CIO, SEIU, Change to Win, Teamsters, and other organized labor groups at the White House on Monday, during which the president reiterated his support for EFCA and other labor priorities, including healthcare reform.
The Coalition warned businesses would be hurt if EFCA became law, and noted that they "look forward" to a meeting with Obama.
The AFL-CIO is planning one of the largest state rallies in favor of "card check" legislation on Saturday in the home state of one of organized labor's frequent targets: Wal-Mart,
The union is expecting 1,000 attendees at a rally in Little Rock, Ark. on Saturday, in what the AFL-CIO says is one of the biggest non-D.C. events to date in support of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).
Several of the union's national leaders will travel to the rally, which is followed by a catfish fry, and located some 214 miles from Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark.
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasure Rich Trumka and Vice President Arlene Holt Baker are expected to speak, along with United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard.
One union official said the rally will have "huge activity" by state standards, while some Washington-centric rallies have had more attendance.
Update, 2:37 p.m.: Some anti-EFCA groups sent along preemptive comments.
"Since 2005, Little Rock has announced over $1 billion of capital investment from new and expanding companies. These companies, both domestic and international, have created thousands of quality jobs in our region. We strongly believe that Arkansas' status as a 'Right to Work' state gives us an edge with potential new and existing employers when compared to other states in the United States. Yet, these companies also know that a strong, stable and qualified workforce is vital to their success. By taking away an employees' right to choose and also allowing the government to force non-competitive contracts on businesses and employees, this legislation would wreak havoc on many companies ability to survive, much less thrive. All we have to do is look at states with high concentrations of union activity to see the unfortunate results and job loss. Without a strong and competitive business environment, we'll lose thousands of good paying jobs. Arkansas families can't afford that kind of choice." -- Jay Chesshir, President and CEO, Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce
"The Employee Free Choice Act is a poorly written piece of legislation that would unfairly saddle Arkansas businesses with burdensome added costs. It would deprive workers of the fundamental right to a secret ballot in organizing elections. The current system, run by the National Labor Relations Board, works and needs no radical change, as this bill would impose. " - Randy Zook, President, Arkansas State Chamber/Associated Industries of Arkansas
"As an African American I am deeply offended that an organization known for a complete lack of diversity, which has never had a minority at its helm, would come lead a 'civil rights' march from Central High School, which is the holy grail of the civil rights movement in Arkansas.
"Today in 2009 African American members of the AFL-CIO are still fighting for diversity in its leadership. There are only five African Americans out of forty members of the AFL-CIO Executive Council. The organization's own research has proven that African Americans are still 'haunted by negative stereotypes and racism' within its ranks. It seems to me that civil rights leaders should be marching on the doors of the AFL-CIO.
"If government used the same leadership development and promotion paradigm as the AFL-CIO then Barack Obama would never have been elected President. This event is truly the apex of hypocrisy." -- Sylvester Smith, Arkansas State Director, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
Organized labor groups claimed another prominent supporter of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) on Wednesday: Pope Benedict XVI.
Labor groups said the Roman Catholic Church leader's new encyclical, "Caritas in Veritate" ("Charity in Truth"), released this week "supports the principles of [EFCA]."
The encyclical builds on the historical support for guilds and trade unions by the Catholic hierarchy first laid out in the 19th century encyclical "Rerum Novarum" ("Of new things").
Benedict said "the promotion of workers' associations that can defend their rights must therefore be honoured today even more than in the past" in his latest writing. The encyclical was coordinated to be released before the G-8 summit in Italy this week, which will have a heavy emphasis on global economic issues.
"I have seen firsthand the lengths to which some employers will go to prevent workers from exercising their legal and moral right to form a union," said Chris Korzen, executive director of Catholics United, which supports EFCA. "Passing [EFCA] is the best way to protect workers from violations like these and to answer the pope's call for increased support of organized labor."
The release touting papal backing for the prized piece of labor legislation was promoted, in turn, by SEIU.
The assertion of papal support comes two days before President Obama will meet with the pontiff at Vatican City on Friday. The release also targeted centrist, Catholic senators who've yet to take a position on EFCA.
Labor groups, anxious to gain another vote in the Senate for their top legislative priorities, were quick to praise Democrat Al Franken's tentative victory in the Minnesota Senate race.
Among the bevy of releases commenting on the Minnesota Supreme Court's ruling on Tuesday rejecting former Sen. Norm Coleman's (R) appeal of a trial court's ruling in favor of Franken were some from organized labor, which demanded Franken be seated as quickly as possible.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said "it is essential that Minnesotans have both their Senators to represent them and we urge Governor Pawlenty to immediately sign the election certificate so Franken can get to work" in a statement released shortly after the decision.
"Now that the Minnesota Supreme Court has made its final ruling, it is time to recognize Al Franken as the duly elected Senator from Minnesota," SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger said. "We call on Governor Pawlenty to pursue the state
Organized labor is dictating a large portion of the Obama administration's work, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) alleged Monday.
"The unions are running a lot of this administration," McCain said during an appearance on the Mike Broomhead show on local radio station KFYI.
"Look what just happened with Chrysler and General Motors," McCain added.
McCain referenced the auto bailouts as well as President Obama's push for a healthcare reform package that includes a public (or "government-run") option for consumers as examples of union influence on the administration.
Unions have worked to organize support for the healthcare reform bill, and have also pushed for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a labor reform bill which the administration has said it supports.
McCain, who faced off against Obama in the 2008 presidential election, accused his onetime electoral nemesis of conducting "far-left" policies in a "a right-of-center nation."
The U.S. healthcare is hardly affordable and is leaving behind several cross-sections of society, the AFL-CIO asserted in a report released Tuesday.
The report, the "2009 Health Care for America Survey," reported that 52 percent of Americans said they are unable to access healthcare at an affordable price, with a combined 74 percent reporting that their household had paid out more than $1,000 in health expenses out-of-pocket in the last year.
The report comes at a time when the union is seeking to build momentum for a healthcare reform bill before Congress, a top priority for Democrats this year.
"The results are clear. Too many working families are suffering under the burden of high health care costs, lack of access and a confusing and mismanaged system," AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker said in a statement accompanying the report. "We hope this survey and the voices of those who responded will help keep the momentum going as we work toward real health care reform."
The survey, which targeted members of labor unions, was conducted between April 1 and May 31.
Among other findings: 90 percent of respondents said healthcare reform was needed very urgently, while three quarters said they were generally dissatisfied with the cost of their healthcare.
Montana's two Democratic senators projected some coyness about their support for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) after having previously sponsored the labor legislation.
Both Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) refused to say how they'd plan to vote on the bill, though they were both sponsors of EFCA in 2007.
"It would be very hard to support the bill in its current form, but that is why I'm working with my colleagues in the Senate to bring some common-sense modifications to the bill to make sure it balances workers' interests with small-business interests," Baucus told The Missoulian, which did a two-part series on EFCA's potential impact on Montana.
Tester's spokesman meanwhile said EFCA "isn't ready for a Senate vote yet," and added that Tester would weigh the bill's pros and cons before deciding on how to vote.
The statements mark more potential woes for organized labor, which has been lobbying other centrist Democrats to support the legislation, with some reported success.
CNBC's Erin Burnett is in a bit of trouble for comparing the elections in Iran to the debate over card-check. Specifically, she seemed to suggest union elections would be like Iranian elections if the Employee Free Choice Act passed.
"It wasn't a secret ballot," Burnett said on yesterday's Street Signs. "I think that's important. They're going to know everybody and how they voted. Maybe that makes, by the way, a strong point for this whole union conversation we're having in this country."
Unions are already firing back at Burnett. SEIU is asking supporters to bombard her with emails and took the opportunity to criticize CNBC for it's pre-financial crash journalism:
CNBC isn't exactly a shining example of responsible journalism. The financial news network has been ridiculed for enabling the financial crisis with flawed reporting and fawning coverage of failed CEOs.
The labor consortium American Rights at Work (ARAW) called business groups opposed to the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) "two-faced" on the legislation's arbitration provision.
In an ad running in today's Capitol Hill newspapers, including The Hill, ARAW asserts that business are willing to engage arbitration when it suits their interests, but not when it benefits labor groups.
"Labor law reform must ensure that workers who want to join a union are able to do so without facing endless delays from corporations seeking to deny them a voice in the workplace," ARAW spokesman Josh Goldstein said. "Big Business' position is hypocritical and motivated by their desire to maintain a status quo in which corporations make millions while middle class families struggle to get ahead."
In particular, the ad takes aim at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a principal opponent of EFCA. View the ad below:
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President Andy Stern laid down the law on Sunday when it comes to the proposed co-op compromise on healthcare reform.
Checking in on Twitter, Stern seemed to dismiss the idea of creating publicly available co-ops in lieu of the public (conservatives say "government-run") option on healthcare reform. That potential compromise was floated by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), the chairman of the Senate Budget Commitee.
Most Viewed RSS Feed »
