by Frank James
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) is up for re-election next year and he just bought himself a lot of trouble from the labor movement in a state with a lot of union members.
Specter announced today that he won't support the legislation known as the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would allow unions to organize employees if they can get a majority of workers to sign cards saying that they want union representation.
EFCA is the labor movement's top priority and union leaders speak of it in almost sacred terms. Because of that, congressional Democrats are almost are uniformly for card check.
But business groups and congressional Republicans are just as adamantly opposed to EFCA. Republicans say it would violate the tradition of a secret ballot. And business groups say it would raise their costs and create obstacles to how they manage their workforce.
The only reason anyone cares what Specter thinks on this issue is because he was seen as the fulcrum. With Senate Democrats close to but not at the 60 vote level needed to end debate on legislation, Specter was seen as the possible 60th vote, especially since he voted to end debate two years ago.
Not this time. Specter echoed a business community EFCA criticism, saying a recession is a terrible time to add burdens companies:
The problems of the recession make this a particularly bad time to enact Employees Free Choice legislation. Employers understandably complain that adding a burden would result in further job losses. If efforts are unsuccessful to give Labor sufficient bargaining power through amendments to the NLRA, then I would be willing to reconsider Employees' Free Choice legislation when the economy returns to normalcy.
I am announcing my decision now because I have consulted with a very large number of interested parties on both sides and I have made up my mind... This announcement should end the rumor mill that I have made some deal for my political advantage. I have not traded my vote in the past and I would not do so now.
Organized labor's response suggests that Specter could next year be seeing a lot of negative TV ads run against him by unions who likely would've given him a pass before today.
An excerpt from a statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney:
Today's announcement by Sen. Specter - a sponsor of the original Employee Free Choice Act who voted for cloture in 2007 - is frankly a disappointment and a rebuke to working people, to his own constituents in Pennsylvania and working families around the country.
Comments
Specter is so freaked out by a 2010 primary challenge from the right -- probably from former-Rep. Pat Toomey -- that he felt he couldn't stick to his guns on Employee Free Choice. If so, it's shaping up to be a classic case of winning the battle and losing the war, as it's hard to imagine Specter surviving a concerted Democratic effort in increasingly blue Pennsylvania without the longstanding support of organized labor. And one would have to believe that such support will not be forthcoming in the wake of his betrayal on the single most important piece of labor law reform in 50 years.
Looks like he just doesn't want to get reelected. You can put a fork in Specter, he's done.
Posted by: Republicans hate blue collar workers | March 24, 2009 8:58 PM
Watch it & weep, Replicans.
This was a more polished performance than most presidents could give after 8 years in office.
Second time out.
Not a TeleprompTer in sight.
Highest marks.
Posted by: ornery | March 24, 2009 9:07 PM
The die-hard Republican right-wingers here in PA have never liked Specter but they have found him to be a useful idiot up until now. But he's lost the middle of the state with this one, too, not just his old support base in Philly. It's pretty much guaranteed that Specter won't get cross-over voter support in the primary now, union backing or not, and that means he's doomed.
Specter will never even make it to the general, and that means his seat will be in Democratic hands in 2010.
The rust belt states like Ohio Pa and Michigan etc are not going to be voting Republican for a VERY long time, the Repubs have gone over board when it comes to union bashing and they've alienated virtually everyone up here.
Posted by: Teresa | March 24, 2009 9:16 PM
Thank goodness Arlen has decided to finally vote his conscience on the issue of unions. Unions had an important role in creating worker rights and making visible the plight of factory workers in the late 19th century. However that time is long gone those rights are now enshrined in law, and unions have no valid purpose any longer. They intimidate workers into supporting their us against them agenda's and no regard for cost. They have a sick, gimme gimme gimme because I work here mentality. Think about people you know, and think when or if union person you know has every really worked a day in their pathetic life of entitlement. Outlaw unions, save America
Posted by: Rick Matson | March 24, 2009 9:30 PM
They have a sick, gimme gimme gimme because I work here mentality. Think about people you know, and think when or if union person you know has every really worked a day in their pathetic life of entitlement. Outlaw unions, save America
Posted by: Rick Matson | March 24, 2009 9:30 PM
........
Yes little Ricky,
The tax cuts for the rich, big corporations and big oil Republicans are the only Americans who have ever put in a day of hard work, dag gumit......NOT!
Posted by: spin, spin, spin me round, Repubs | March 24, 2009 10:20 PM
Nice to see Arlen FINALLY doing the right thing regarding cardcheck. Of course, the wind could blow a different way tomorrow. Pat Toomey is running against Specter in the republican primary. Arlen's reed in the wind routine grew old long ago with Pennsylvania republicans. He's toast. And Junior Casey's been such an embarassment that Toomey should be able to easily beat whoever the democrats scrounge up.
Posted by: Jeff | March 24, 2009 11:44 PM
Spector is running scared because the republican Taliban is on the warpath to continue to ruin America. Spector isn't strong enough to fight the tide of the GOP going out unless he's willing to run as an independent.
Either way Spector might be on his way out anyway, as he was part of the GOP congresses rubber stampin' W's disasterous policies that we all face the results of now. W, and Spector, presided over biggest increase in spending since WWII. Spector has never cared much about working Americans as he went along with the trillion dollar tax cuts to the rich, now clearly a giveaway scheme that did nothing to boost the economy but rather sank it instead of forcing the country to 'pay as you go'.
Now Spector has to get with the Party of No or retire.
Posted by: Paul | March 25, 2009 12:55 AM
It is time for RHINO Specter to retire to Florida. He and the other two from RHINO'S from Maine should have never voted for the Stimulus package.
VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com
NO MORE SCHUMER
NO MORE PELOSI
NO MORE RANGEL
NO MORE ENGEL AND HIS MILLION DOLLAR HOME IN MARYLAND
Posted by: VJ Machiavelli | March 25, 2009 1:02 AM
Republicans are not true Americans. Not anymore. Their ideology seems to be one of turning the entire middle class into $10-an-hour slaves to the tiny wealthy class. They do not believe in the precepts of "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Except for the chosen few, whom they defend to the death. Massive losses are being felt in the tech industry, the auto industry and pretty much any job base that sustained a middle-class living, or at least the illusion of one. Now, millions of people find their skills devalued to the point where $10 hr. jobs are a very realistic future. It's the New Feudalism. And Obama can't do much about it in the short term. It is prece\isely what he wants to address with his budget plan to get the economy going again. Of course the Republicans objected! They literally want everyone - EVERYONE - to fail except their banking and brokerage buddies.
Posted by: Bill/Jeff | March 25, 2009 2:07 AM
Think about people you know, and think when or if union person you know has every really worked a day in their pathetic life of entitlement. Outlaw unions, save America
Posted by: Rick Matson | March 24, 2009 9:30 PM
........
Think about the Vice President of a corporation you know. Have they ever really worked a day in their pathetic life of entitlement?
Every union worker I know works a heck of a lot harder than the Corporate management goons who care only about their fat bonuses, company cars, executive retreats at resorts, alcohol fueled "business" lunches at the top restaurants and ultimately thier golden parachute when things go bad.
Posted by: Mel | March 25, 2009 7:37 AM
The US Chamber of Commerce is the strongest union in the US, but it's a union for big corporations, why can't the American worker have a strong union too, the new law would NOT eliminate secret ballots, it would give the employees more choices to form a union. The only ones opposed to this are the ignorant and the ones who stand to lose, big corporations.
Posted by: Sailingwindward | March 25, 2009 11:44 AM
"Not a TeleprompTer in sight."
Isn't it easy to be fooled. Yes, it wasn't in sight but it was in the middle of the room. Some try so hard to believe they accept anything without questions. Please start asking questions.
Posted by: PG | March 25, 2009 1:16 PM