Unions Plan EFCA Push As Solis Nears Confirmation

President Barack Obama's nominee for Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, is set to be confirmed by the Senate a week from Tuesday.

In the meantime, some of the heaviest hitters in the labor community are ramping up efforts to push their top legislative priorities.

A source at the AFL-CIO writes in to lay out the week ahead, which includes a new report from the Center for American Progress on the benefits of unionization and local and national campaigns for the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.

"Three main take-a-ways from this," the source writes:

- The Employee Free Choice Act is part of the solution to fixing our economic problems. As the [Center for American Progress] reports will show, when workers have the right to join a union it benefits the overall economy and grows the middle class.

- The grassroots field campaign of the unions continues to be gradually ratcheted up. Demonstrates the grassroots reach that we have as we will be holding events in 16 states.

- The state-based events are being done in complete coordination between AFL-CIO, Change to Win, and SEIU, who will be working in total coordination to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.

The idea, it seems, is to grease the legislative wheels for EFCA for when Solis is ultimately confirmed and Al Franken actually gets to the Senate (if he ever does). When those two settle in, Senate Democrats should have the numbers to at least bring the bill to a vote. But part of the process will involve picking off a like-minded Republican or two; another part will be ensuring that no Senate Democrat defects. You can get a sense of just which lawmakers the unions are targeting by looking at the states in which they will be holding events this upcoming week.

The list, as the source writes, includes: Alaska, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and North Carolina.

Comments

[enochsmoky]

09:42 PM on 02/17/2009

What does Labor need to "ramp up" to pass EFCA? The Democrats have overwhelming majorities in the House and Senate. They can cram this misnamed piece of legislative crap down America's throat if they want to. I will let you in on a dirty little secret, there are dozens of Democrats who still have half a brain and have not been bought off by union money. They are intellectually and morally honest enough to know a bad bill when they see one. This Big Labor "push" and "ramping up efforts" just means that Tony Soprano and Jimmy Hoffa's ghost are soon going to show up at a lot of Congressional offices.

[andyg]

11:22 PM on 02/17/2009

Don't you mean Jimmy Hoffa Jr.

[mahatma301]

07:48 PM on 02/17/2009

I am a real Democrat, not a blue dog, and I hate Republicans.

But I can't support HIlda (regardless of any tax problem, or not). I want a labor secretary who is not a union shill.

She is a union shill. We need someone broader than that. Ok to like and understand unions, deeply. But there is more to labor than unions. Note that most working Americans are not in unions, and tens of millions would not want them.

[petef59]

09:41 PM on 02/17/2009

"union shill" ? That is such a stereotyped comment. I suppose you believe women should be bare-foot and pregnant and Blacks should sit at the back of the bus,too. Wake up--the Bush Administration gutted worker rights and unions were the only organizations standing for all workers.

[MPeter]

05:03 PM on 02/17/2009

Confirm Hilda and let her get to work for American families. The Rethugs need to get out of the way.

[RightWingMarine]

05:00 PM on 02/17/2009

it's a good thing we are removing that troublesome secret ballot requirement in favor of a signed petition. No way will pro union people know who did and did not sign the petition which is in no way private or secret. Unions have long had a reputation for being above the board and in no way affliliated with organized crime and the types of people that break legs unless you join their union.

Workers of the world unite!

[lj9283]

05:12 PM on 02/17/2009

Myth vs. Reality: The REALITY is the Employee Free Choice Act Helps American Workers and their Families

http://democrats.senate.gov/journal/entry.cfm?id=277768

[RightWingMarine]

05:59 PM on 02/17/2009

I'm sure Jimmy Hoffa would feel the same way if we could just find him.

[DelvinMcGee]

09:23 PM on 02/17/2009

yeah right. Nice source.

Please explain how taking away YOUR right to a secret vote in an election helps you?

[petef59]

09:49 PM on 02/17/2009

What an inept argument-nothing but stereotypes and 50 year old cliches based in falsehood.

[PATina]

04:54 PM on 02/17/2009

SEIU just put out a commercial here in PA praising Sen. Specter for working w/ the Dems to pass the stimulus bill. I guess they are hoping they can bring him along on this too. I hope they are right.

[lj9283]

05:09 PM on 02/17/2009

I do not think that's the point. The Conservative Movement has been running Anti-Spector ads, and is promising a Primary battle by a Republican Conservative for his seat.

This, I believe, is a "Thank You" for supporting the American Middle Class with support of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Working people tend to be polite, and say thank you when someone has gone out of their way to help them.

[JayeSF]

04:38 PM on 02/17/2009

Yup...been a long time comin'.

Finally, a Labor Sec who cares about America's workforce.

The times they are a changin'....

[Mike169]

04:32 PM on 02/17/2009

I've never in my life read so much garbage as what I'm reading from the anti-EFCA mob. I guess if you can't beat us with the truth you may as well lie and lie again until people get so stupid they believe the lie. It's the Republican way.

[dillydawg]

04:03 PM on 02/17/2009

It's about time.

[Dave27]

03:56 PM on 02/17/2009

This is a good thing.

[Kaye08]

03:55 PM on 02/17/2009

We already know that the anti-EFCA is preparing to go after EFCA with all of their lies and false information and scare tactics. I think there are plenty of pro-EFCA groups who are gearing up to offset the lies. After all, we did get to hear what the CEO of Home Depot had to say on that conference call with BOA where they talked about this labor problem and he could be on his boat if it wasn't for bleeping labor. Keep your eye out for FinancialStability.gov. The next bank money will be open and transparent.

[DelvinMcGee]

09:24 PM on 02/17/2009

Does EFCA afford an opportunity to rob a worker of his or her right to a secret ballot? The same right that you have to vote in secret? Does it or not?

[petef59]

09:45 PM on 02/17/2009

Not--semantics. It allows workers the right to vote anytime without the interference of union-busting lawyers and their minions harassing,intimidating and falsely firing those whose organize a vote.