GOP Targets Unions, Specter Wavers

Update: NYT: After Party Switch, a Senator’s Confused Alliances

As Tom Harkin works to move "Sen. Arlen Specter back to the pro-union side on the stalled Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) (The Politico)," Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and the GOP are hitting unions like punching bags.

From Sen. DeMint in Human Events:

... That's why it's vital you sign our petition urging the Congressional leadership to OPPOSE the union bosses' Card Check Forced Unionism Bill -- and the rest of Big Labor's agenda -- IMMEDIATELY.

You see, there's not much time. At the very top of the Congress's agenda is the union bosses' Card Check Forced Unionism Bill. And the Organized Labor czars wouldn't have it any other way. You see, passage of the so-called 'Card Check' Bill is all that stands between the union bosses and total control over hundreds of thousands of America's small businesses . . .

So we have a new Democratic senator who has vowed to use the filibuster to stop labor reform. Let's hope Harkin's outreach precedes dumping Specter, and the filibuster too while we're at it.

Specter's latest position on EFCA: "I’m opposed to giving up the secret ballot or mandatory arbitration as they are set forth in the bill, but I do believe that labor law reform is past overdue." So, Specter's not going to support the fulibuster then? Who knows?

Employee Free Choice Act Now

What’s the worth of an American’s work?

If you believe that America ought to resemble feudalistic serfdom—not very much.

But since the later part of the ninetieth century when workers began organizing with fellow workers during the industrial revolution, the social and economic value of work, its worth, has been acclaimed as a valuable commodity.

Yet many through history, including the contemporary GOP, persist in believing that America's labor is not worth all that much and have endlessly fought, often violently, against the attempts of Americans to organize to sell their labor product at a reasonable price.

As the late Sidney Lens, the great labor activist and historian, pointed out: Thousands of corpses and cracked skulls litter the battle to organize and sell American labor.

The pro-labor view, held in today's Democratic Party and organized labor, is that labor is sacred and ought to command a price sufficient to raise a family.

The right to organize to sell the American labor product was enshrined in the Wagner Act of 1935, singed into law by FDR.

Wrote FDR in his statement signing the Wagner Act:

This Act defines, as a part of our substantive law, the right of self-organization of employees in industry for the purpose of collective bargaining, and provides methods by which the Government can safeguard that legal right.

In the spirit of the Wagner Act, the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) now under consideration in Congress continues the legacy of the American labor movement, FDR and the belief that one's work is sacred.

Look for the Republicans to do their worst to stop it.

As the AFL-CIO points out, the Employee Free Choice Act would help workers join "together in a union to bargain for health care, pensions, fair wages and better working conditions is the best opportunity working people have to get ahead" in the face of corporate intimidation and a broken regulatory system.

It's really simple, the Employee Free Choice Act guarantees "that if a majority of workers wants a union, they can have one, allowing them to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation."

Now will come GOP and corporate lies to halt this needed labor reform.

As former Rep. Newt Gingrich says, “This bill is a mortal threat to American freedom and we will never forgive somebody who votes for cloture or for passage.”

Right, Newt. Read more corporate and rightwing fear mongering here.

Ditch the Filibuster by Spring

Robert L. Borosage, Co-Director of the Campaign for America’s Future, surveying the fights to come writes of the Employee Free Choice Act that the "business lobby promises Armageddon if the Employee Free Choice Act moves forward."

And you can bet that the Employee Free Choice Act will get filibustered.

After all, we elected Obama and a Democratic congress so that this once-in-a generation shot at labor reform and other major initiatives can be decided by the whims of Sen. Mitch McConell (R-Kentucky). Right?

Right.

Here's a prediction, McConell backs down or we blow up the filibuster all together or at least lower the number of senators needed for a cloture vote to 55 votes.