Big Labor Hints at Lame-Duck ‘Card Check’ Vote
- Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:04am by
Meredith Jessup
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AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka & President Barack Obama
Depending on the outcome of November’s midterm elections, the subsequent lame duck session may be Democrats’ last chance to push through some major agenda items that have been on the back burner since they took control of Congress in 2006. Among these priorities is the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), or “card check.”
Though congressional leaders and their union allies aren’t yet disclosing specific items on the lame duck calendar, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka has hinted that this union priority will be addressed “before the end of the year.” In September, Trumka noted:
There is no question the Employee Free Choice Act has to become law and workers need it. EFCA is necessary so more people can get bargaining power and we can get fair share of the economic pie.
The Republicans are locked in against but we have we have president who supports it along with vast majority of the House and Senate and the public… We’re working on it every day.. .Stay tuned because before the end of the year, you are going to hear something about the Employee Free Choice Act because we are working on it every day.
During a conference call with reporters Thursday, Trumka again suggested Congress may vote on the contentious union bill soon. When asked if he had received a commitment from Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill to move the bill, Trumka told them, “stay tuned.”
“All I would say to you is stay tuned. That would be my best answer to you,” he said, declining further comment.
According to The Hill, others have hinted at a lame-duck vote on EFCA as well:
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said in June this year that such a vote was possible.
“To those who think it’s dead, I say think again,” Harkin, the bill’s main sponsor, said on the liberal Bill Press radio show then.
“A lot of things can happen in a lame-duck session, too,” the senator later said in reference to EFCA.
Business groups warn that the bill would abolish the secret-ballot election, giving union leaders full access to workers’ votes. Meanwhile, union leaders urge EFCA’s quick passage, claiming it will make it easier for workers to unionize.
Republicans oppose the bill while some moderate Democrats have wavered in their support or have come out against it as well.
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Comments (99)
BHOMustFail
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 6:51amHas anyone ever thought about how in the world Public Employee Unions ever became LEGAL? At least in private business you have the Co/BOD vs the union so you can see to a minor degree that the individual employee could think they need the 3rd party (i.e.Union) to “protect them”. However, in the Public Sector, the “employees” help choose “the Man” to “oppose” them. You then have a situation where the Union encourages the employee to vote for the “bosses” who will determine their pay and benefits! If this isn’t RICO or Anti-Trust/Monopoly material, what is???!!! UNF-ING BELIEVABLE!
Report Post »justice
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 5:44amHey Union workers, I was employed by a Union company. And guess what I lost my job. The contracts these people get with unions are nothing…just a piece of paper. I wanted out, but the whole company was union, so I could not get out. All they do is take your money…If this card check goes through ignorant people will try to intimidate you.
Report Post »historypaper
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 5:27amLame Duck Obama. Better minds reveal that an Impeachment will be served upon the President after the elections. Ask Obama’s C.I.A. what they’ve been doing with the old Sahara Club?
Report Post »smalldog
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 5:27amIf unions want a bigger piece of the economic pie, why don’t they start and grow their own business? Compete just like private business does? Anyone holding them back?
Report Post »smalldog
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 5:26amWisconsin used to have lots of good paying jobs, union and non-union. Employers competed for good workers. The manufacturing base was destroyed over the years, and few non-government union jobs remain in the state. They all seem to be leaving for better business climates in other states and nations.
Report Post »eaglescout1998
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 4:53amIf “Card Check” passes, my best advice for business owners is to close up shop and retire.
Report Post »whitaker
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 4:47amWe need to remind the democrats that arent up for election now that there turn is coming in 2012. Voting for garbage like this will get them voted out much easier.
Report Post »angrymob
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 4:29amYes, Democrats it’s your “last stand” the angrymobs as you described them have you surrounded…ready, aim, VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »puck30
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 2:21amLook, they are going to go for broke you have to see this. I don’t see it passing but never say never.
Report Post »NoProlesHere
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 1:51amBusinesses have been anticipating this agenda item (Card Check) to come through since Obama was elected. In fact, we thought this was going to occur earlier in the Obama administration. If this goes through, this will add even more uncertainty to the economy. I fear this will be another straw on the camel’s back for the economy. Then it will be “See I told you that your shouldn’t have elected those “Republicans” on November 2nd. At least Bush will be off the hook. The new majority in the House will be the new frozen target.
Report Post »Sunnyr
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 1:44amIf that rotten coward tries to push through a Card Check boondoggle during the lame duck session, there will be more than just “hand to hand combat!” Corrupt UNION THUGS are destroying this country and We the People will NOT STAND FOR THIS CRAP ANOTHER MINUTE! No more sleazy deals, Obama! You are the most corrupt, devisive, RACIST poor excuse for a “president” we have ever had in our nation’s history. WE ARE MAD AS HELL AND ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t try it!!
Report Post »red penny
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 1:37amUnions are nothing more than legalized extortion.Unions always add costs to goods and services which the consumer pays for.Unions benefit only a few at the expense of many.For years there have been laws on the books protecting the worker and rightly so;therefore,unions have long since served there purpose.Every state in the union should have a “right to work” law on the books!! So called collective bargaining is a blight on the nation.
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 8:35amI‘ve never understood why some rich conservative lawyers can’t get together and get unions thrown out. Laws protecting workers rights can’t authorize illegal activity, and almost everything the unions try to do is criminal.
Report Post »pmjme
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 10:02amThey are the legalized “mafia” in our country with more power than other special interest groups or individuals. It’s all about power, money, and control.
Report Post »jds7171
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 1:25pmIf this thing gets passed there is going to be a lot more off-shoring that is going to happen. Thats probably what the businesses are doing with all of that money. They are just waiting to see what happens, if it doesn’t go the way they are wanting they will just move out of the country.
Report Post »BoilitDown
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 1:09amUnions, as they are narrowly intended are useful to workers. The way union leadership is using them today is obviously very bad for the country.
Report Post »The politicians have been bought by these special interest groups just like any powerful and moneyed group lobbying for their demands. The problem is that union leaders have overstepped the boundries enough that a growing percentage of the nation is calling for them to be outlawed. People in my community which has been devastated by the unions are understandably arguing for disbanding the unions and prosecuting their leaders. The vitriol aimed at unions from the rest of the country is probably caused by socialist ties and the likes of Trumpka and Stern. Obama’s paybacks to unions might be another major factor.
A big push for Card Check might just be the last straw for the nation to demand union reform. I, for one, will be standing with the majority.
Psychosis
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 1:44amyou should revise your decision to stand with the majority that is wishy washy at best stand on principles at all times no matter what the majority is if you remain a rock with principles the majority at best can only splash like a wave upon your shore
Report Post »BoilitDown
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 5:17pmPsychosis: It’s just that I believe in the majority of people and that they and I together stand on those principles.
Report Post »NEVER SURRENDER
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:54amWe’ll see if the incompetent corrupt whitehouse has the guts to do it.
Report Post »ZaphodsPlanet
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 1:27amI’m sure they will…… it’s not called guts though….. It’s called treason.
PEOPLE…. it’s way past time to IMPEACH THIS BASTARD living in our WH!
Report Post »AmericanPatriot01
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 5:06amSave that for after the election. When we have enough people in the house and the senate to overide the presidential veto. We can put the majority of these treasonous criminals in prison on there own public video evidence. Violations of oath of office will be an easily provable offense.
Report Post »midcoastmainepatriot
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 6:22amI swear to God…They better not try any crazy sh#t on the way out the door…I don’t think I could let that stand. And the postings I read from my Patriot brothers & sisters on The Blaze, I feel I’m Not Alone
Report Post »BetterDays
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 9:24amwhich is why I think that Obama should be served his impeachment warrent in the middle of his State of the Union address in January, on Live TV.
Report Post »MrButcher
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:50amCARD CHECK, or in more literal terms: tell-me-how-you-will-vote-so-i-can-kick-the-shyt-out-of-you-if-i dont-like-your-vote, IS HORRID and WRONG. fight it fight it fight it.
i have inside word this is going down….
…but i don’t think it will pass after the elections on the 2nd.
the lame-duck’s who will be voted out will not cave in to these thugs.
they will understand by the drama of their defeat. and propietiy will rule the day.
then the next battle begins….
Report Post »EAGLEMOM
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:50amIn order for them to pass any legislation in the lame duck session they will have to peel off one Republican in the senate. Our only hope of stopping controversial legislation, such as this, is that lame duck Senators such as Murkowski don’t vote for it. I cannot immagine that even one Republican Senator who wins their seat in 2010 or who will up for election in 2012 or 2014 will risk their re-election on allowing such a bill to past and if they do, we will not forget.
Report Post »Grandpa
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 5:18amLame duck season is coming. Be prepared to phone, email, and fax the aye out of the senators up for elections next round. They must be held accountable for every vote.
Report Post »Armed Patriot
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 5:45amYou must be kidding… Olympia Snow, Susan Collins, Scott Brown??? Give one of them a pass or a few million for their state and they will kiss Trumpkas butt too.
Report Post »Eagle07
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 6:33amArmed Patriot I am not sure about that Brown might want to get on a good comittee and if the republicans gain control and he votes against them than he might not get anything but the sewage council or something.
Report Post »BetterDays
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 9:22amwhereas what you say is true, my fear is the Obama will simply use the “executive order” route to entirely circumnavigate the system. We need to keep a close eye on him, now more than ever.
Report Post »mrzmac
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 4:27pmthere is another way to stop them…if Kirk wins Illinois and O’Donnell wins Delaware…both senate seats will be seated immediately giving us 43 seats…they may get one RINO but they will never convince 3 to vote with them…these 2 senate seats are vital to put a complete halt to a lame duck anything!
Report Post »joseph Fawcett
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:49amThis is dangerous because the nest thing the general public vote will be opened up and the Goverment will use this bill to do it.
http://www.josephfawcettart.com (western artist
Report Post »watchmanonthewall
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:40amwhat do we do if they do try to pass it in the lame duck? And how do we fight against the unions?
Report Post »FreedomOfSpeech
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:47am@watchmanonthewall I‘d advocate financial sabotage but then we’d just have to bail them out.
Report Post »Eagle07
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 6:30amThe republicans should make it clear you pass anything during the lame duck session than that will be the last thing the dems pass.And if they do than the republicans should torpedo anything the dems bring up.
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:26amGIVE THEM CARD CHECK……………………………then make unions illegal lol . bet that would solve a lot of problems. give the union members their money back and give them the control over there futures instead of letting a bunch of commie theives use their money for their own goals
Report Post »SummerB
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:25amThis is one bill that if it comes to the floor for a vote, everyone should be calling their representatives immediately to vote no! The most egregious part is the abolition of the secret-ballot election. At best, if unionization passes, a no vote can be held against that worker. Recently, on this board, an article was referenced where in the past 10 years, a union forced a vote for unionization 6x (don’t recall what company) which didn’t pass, however, the unions would have the names of the workers who voted no & as we’ve seen, they could very well be harassed or harmed by men wearing union shirts.
Report Post »roguetea
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 4:36amrogue, The Evilest Agenda
No, I am afraid the harassers will likely not wear union shirts. HELL, no shirts will likely be seen, at your home, under the cover of darkness. I have been far enough into a prominent Union to have been told face to face, ‘We got members that will do anything for the union.” Then on the bright side it was explained, ‘it takes very little in the middle of the night.’ By now we should all realize a shove is seldom necessary. Just a tiny little nudge turns a reluctant into loud a mouth enthusiast.
Thankfully, I have been out of unions for many years and now reside in a State and area where unionism is weak. But an idiotic notion like Card Check could upset the rest of my life. The Dems have already blasted their own feet off over the economy, HC and Progressivism in general. Card Check is an issue that could literally kill what is still LEFT of this ill-fated party. Could they be so evil, mean spirited and lame brained to lame duck such stupidity? YES THEY CAN.
Calling Congress might help. But what might work best is to barrage each and every locally elected Dem promising to annihilate their party at the polls if any of them sacrifice the secret ballot for any of us. I advocate no violence or anything that is not utterly honorable. However, if some Dems put such ruthless fear into our households and worthless rule into our workplaces, we must permanently block all of them, at the booths where secrecy still wins. Be warned Dem Party, this a party busting issue, a memorial to your demise.
Report Post »tea party, ReAct 2010, ROGUE ON
BoilitDown
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:16amThis is one issue that requires our immediate attention. Calls, letters, e-mails or whatever it takes to get this dangerous piece of legislation firmly shut down. It should be clear to anyone paying attention that union leadership has gone hog wild and this would increase their power exponentially.
Report Post »Trumpka already thinks he’s a little god. This is one way of explaining to him that he’s vulnerable to the will of the people.
PA_BOB
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 8:16amYou’re right on in that last statement…. I’ve seen it first-hand, going way back to when he was UMW leader and calling for national strikes, fanning the flames for violence in the late 80‘s and early 90’s in those strikes, and not giving a rat’s behind about anything other than HIS power and position. Certainly never REALLY cared about his union membership or coal miners as a whole.
I still say he has blood on his hands (look up the Peabody strike in ‘93) and is just another union thug whose going to use the same tactics to achieve the Socialist agenda.
Report Post »Rowgue
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:16amGee another attempt at giving unions the power to insure that their members are shills for them instead of the union working for it’s members. That’s very surprising.
Report Post »RKade
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 1:05pmWelcome to OBAMERICA, here we shall let you vote and you’ll be ok, if you vote the way we SAY.
VE knows vhere you live.
Report Post »Deda1
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:15amEver wonder why the union thugs of the DemoNazi party don’t want u to vote in secret? I wish this fat pig would walk and mess with me. Man I can only pray.,
Report Post »RobertCA
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:15amYeah Dems let’s go back to The Soviet Union era & it’s KGB .
Report Post »TruthTalker
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:45amI have been a union member. All they did for me was collect my money out of my paycheck. They were weak and paid themselves out of my $7.50 an hour. True, there are more powerful unions than the one I was in and there are some that benefit their members, but it is a from of socialism. If anyone disagrees with that, then they are kidding themselfs. I am the TruthTalker.
Report Post »RobertCA
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 1:25amI hear ya , even if you’re unemployed they still want their dues .
Report Post »Promotefreedom
Posted on October 9, 2010 at 10:19amTrumka is dangerous. In a recent Trumka speech, Obama, walking behind him on the podium, stopped and patted Trumka on both shoulders, simultaneously with both hands, so many times in a row, it was sickening. Both were smiling ear to ear. I got news for any disbelievers, Trumka is the head of a new branch of the US government.
The picture I can’t get out of my mind is tens of thousands of uniformed soldiers marching in high kick step unison alongside huge tanks…
Report Post »FreedomOfSpeech
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:12amThis is such garbage. Unions have destroyed some good companies. The secret ballot is necessary to give workers a voice to go against the union leaders’ often radical agendas. If card check passes, workers will be intimidated into voting the party line.
Obama burns books like the Nazis
Report Post »AmericanPatriot01
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:20amI’m sick of beating my lips typing the same reminders so I’ll let these videos say what needs to be said.
Report Post »http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcVopcMPfSs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKFKGrmsBDk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIo5Aucjfbg&NR=1&feature=fvwp
MrButcher
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 12:52amplease quit posting that link. it makes us look bad.—obama is not a nazi.—lets use our reason to win.
Report Post »FreedomOfSpeech
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 1:48am@Butcher Language my friend. He is not a nazi. He burns books LIKE the nazis.
Report Post »FreedomOfSpeech
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 1:55amAnd don’t worry, it does not make you look bad. It just makes me look bad. Which is cool because I am most certainly a right-wing extremist. Rock on.
Report Post »Beckofile
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 9:24amTrumka is so bad for this country and is committed to turn us into a bunch of dependants on the ruling elite. My question is how did this bafoon get to be president or Csar of anything? He should be back on the line putting in the #234 rivit in a Government Motors car.
Report Post »FreedomOfSpeech
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 2:11pm@walkwithme1966 I do have the story straight. The books were burned by DIA, an executive branch agency that serves at the pleasure of the Sec. of Defense and the President. The author was not a CIA agent, he was a military officer working for the DIA. The book went through two separate army reviews, was approved, and published. The “secrets” that DIA objected to after the book’s publication were things such as hyphens, definitions found in the dictionary, and things found on Wikipedia. The executive branch was upset with the author because he testified to Congress about Able Danger under whistleblower status when the executive branch did not want him to.
Before you accuse me of not having my facts straight, you should do some research. The facts as you understand them are not facts at all. Even the NY Times (a liberal publication) wrote an article about the absurdity of burning this book. Fox News also published several stories about it.
To answer your question about YOU burning books…if you were a private citizen I would not have anything to say about you burning any book you owned. However, if you were the government, then I would say the same thing about you.
Report Post »IndianaUSA
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 11:48pmFOS,
Report Post »Brilliant reply. Libs can’t handle the facts.
sumguyinohio
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 12:08amIn all fairness FOS the book was purchased from the publisher then burned. I hardly think that the Nazi thing is a great comparison. I doubt the Nazi’s offered compensation for the books they burned. I’m not privy to the amount that was paid, but I did watch an interview with the author who said that they had purchased the entire first run of his book. He wasn’t happy about it because he wanted the the public to read his work.
If they purchased the books, they were burning their own property and according to your own point of view they did so with your blessing. What should irritate you is that they purchased the books with your money, then burned your purchase.
Report Post »beekeeper
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 8:10amThis bill, if passed, will be the result of such a contentious process in the Senate that it will further tear this country apart. A few quick points:
1) This has been kicked around for years – it’s not new legislation by any means.
2) curious how they are only talking about it AFTER both chambers of congress are in recess.
3) the timing, weeks before an election, make me think this is simply a ploy to get the union faithful out to vote
4) passage of EFCA does not depend on the 2010 election results – in fact, if democrats maintain control of the House and Senate, I suspect they’ll keep EFCA on the table till 2012, to again lure union faithful back to the polls
5) why does every report I read seem to just accept that it is currently ‘hard’ to unionize? A petition is signed, a secret ballot vote is called, overseen by gov’t officials, and if the majority want it it will be implemented, after a reasonable appeal process.
6) if the majority of workers choose to unionize a workplace, what about the folks that don’t want to unionize? What happens to those “Employee’s Free Choice”?
I’d love to read an authoritative report on current unionization process vs. What would be implemented under EFCA.
Report Post »Robert W
Posted on October 10, 2010 at 4:36pmTrumka has an ad on the sportsmans channel tryin to mislead gun owners and hunters to think hes just a good ol boy. We aint buyin it, and if the sportsmans chnl has teamed up with the unions I wont be watchin that channel ever again.
Report Post »