Franken Signs On As EFCA Co-Sponsor

Hours after he was seated, Sen. Al Franken, D-MN, let it be known that he would be sign on as a co-sponsor to the Employee Free Choice Act, the labor-backed provision that would allow unions to more easily organize, as his first legislative activity.

"I just became a cosponsor of my first bill in the Senate, the Employee Free Choice Act," the Minnesota Democrat declared at a gathering at the AFL-CIO on Tuesday evening.

Despite taking a backseat in terms of media attention, EFCA remains very much a hotly-debated measure within the halls of Congress. And while Franken's vote will likely boost Democratic efforts on health care and judicial nominations (he is poised to sit on the HELP and Judiciary Committees) it could be on labor matters where his voice is most felt. Certainly the union community, which is pushing for a vote on EFCA sometime this year, feels relieved that it is one senator closer to preventing a Republican filibuster on the measure.

Franken, who was officially sworn into office on Tuesday after an eight-month recount, told the AFL-CIO crowd that he shared common interests with them. According to Eddie Vale, a spokesman for the union group, Franken described the long tradition that exist in Minnesota of "having two Senators who are very pro workers and working families."

"He said it was an honor to be sworn in today and walk through the aisles with Mondale and to be sworn in on Paul Wellstone's Bible," Vale recounted. "He stressed that both men were champions of the labor movement."

Comments

[annieR]

I'm grateful to have another Senator supporting the EFCA. I'm tired of the lies from one of my senators (Kyl) saying that the legislation would do away with the secret ballot. Not true! It simply provides an additional option. Opponents should talk to nurses who are constantly intimidated and threatened with firing if they even speak to a union representative. These same nurses are forced to give their patients less than the best care because they don't dare run ten minutes over their shift, no matter what's going on. Way to go Al!

[StealGeorgia]

And Maddow says he's not a liberal... Way to go Al!

[gavrielle]

Don't forget, Sen. Franken was, and probably still is, a union member. Actors and screen writers have their own unions too, you know.

[JohnUllmann]

Senator Franken (ahhh...that sounds good!) also, significantly, sits in Paul Wellstone's old seat and at Wellstone's desk.

[johnnygoodwud]

hit the ground running al, don't forget about health care though

[HopeGrenade]

Go Franken. The fact that this guy got elected is fantastic. No wonder the Repubs fought so hard. With Franken comes evidence that there are still intelligent people in Congress who actually care about what happens to their constituency rather than their wallets.

The EFCA is super-important, but it means a strike against employer abuses. That's why you don't see it in the news. Lobbyists want it buried fast and in secret.

[Lavina]

Sounds good! We need your help, Al.

[Rmtns]

Atta boy Al!

[Cambridge9]

I live in a 'right to work' state where those folks with jobs are still working 40 hour work weeks at minimum wage -and vacations broken into two separate 'unpaid weeks' (Xmas/New Year week and July 4th week) - with zero benefits and the ability of the companies to send workers home an hour after arriving in the morning because, management says there is no work. Surely it would be just as easy to tell the workers to stay home in the first place rather than have them spend time and money to get there unnecessarily. So these employees never know from week to week - or even day to day - whether they will have a 'normal' paycheck at the end of the week.

With that in mind please try to imagine how these worker's lives are impacted; not knowing if their paychecks will cover their household bills, whether they can plan their weekly grocery shop or fill their gas tank. And most certainly they cannot afford to buy healthcare. Meanwhile management does very well for themselves.

I agree that at least some folks have jobs but an employee's union could be a definite asset for these workers.

[Sugar Lee]

Thanks for hanging in there Senator Franken. Sure wish Al Gore had the stamina you did. He "won" by 500,000 votes! What a world.

[jashbowie]

Um, Gore did have the stamina...the Supreme Court ordered the recount in Florida to be halted, thus crowning King George.

[macracan]

Historic injustices are occasions for great men to rise to the occasion. Gore bowed out. Instead he should have proclaimed high his right for a recount for the whole world to see the injustice. He should have called for social unrest. He should have done what the Iranians are doing now, only more and better! Alas, he did _not_ have the stamina...

[IndelibleVoice]

Way to go Senator Franken!

Unionization is the only way we'll rebuild solid middle-class jobs in this country. Employers need to be held responsible to the *collective* body of people who work for them. It's in every American's best interest to be supported by a union voice--otherwise corporate America wouldn't be fighting it so hard.

[spmcintyre]

Simply put, Unions serve their purpose until they become involved in politics.

Additionally, union leaders and industry reps need to have some foresight when negotiating. They need to be able to predict better, the long term effects of certain policies and benefit plans. Just ask GM and Chrysler executives and the union leaders that negotiated the benefit plans that created the necessity for bankruptcy.

[amdezurik]

the reason GM and the other auto companies are failing is NOT due to unions. Not one union member decided what cars to build, how to design them or how to sell them. All 3 are choices MANAGMENT made. but of course weak-minded dipso's like you will follow the folks who made the stoopid choices and blame the ones that had nothing to do with it.

[stevensnell]

Not true -- I considered buying a GM car last year, but decided not to because I didn't want autoworkers to have health benefits. No, no... wait a second. That might not be how people decide to buy cars. Perhaps they looks for cars... that are of high quality? And reliable? And well designed? It may be (shock!) that GM went bankrupt because of: capitalism!

[sueinmn]

GM was ran similar to this country. Allow the infrastructure to crumble, avoid any new inovation and strip the company of every profit that can be squeezed out to pay those bosses at the top tier.

Cant blame the unions.

[Jamie Kowalski]

Go Al! Go! Go!

I have a feeling Franken is going to become the hardest working member of the Senate. Probably the sanest member of the Senate as well.

[minnprogress]

Thanks Al. What a great thing to do on the first day as Senator.
Love Ya!

[Terypat]

Welcome Senetor Franken!

I can see the GOP and FNC taking their hissy fits to new heights!

Let the show begin!