In his floor statement, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) provided words of temporary comfort to proponents of the Employee Free Choice Act, or "card check."
"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."By 2010, regardless of whether Specter is re-elected, Democrats will (probably) have another shot at card check, and here Specter is indicating a political compromise: give me the cover for two years, and I'll give you the 60th vote in 2010. Of course, if the economy IS in recovery by then, the urgency to pass pro-labor legislation might be less acute.
but by 2010 the dems wont NEED him. they have at least 60 seats in the senate and specter probably won't even BE in the senate then cause he'll go down to either toomey in the primary or whoever the dems have in the general
I strongly believe that counting on Specter to ever support this is a fool's errand. If the economy is recovered by 2010, GOP will use the same logic - the economy's just recovered, EFCA will send us back into recession, locusts will swarm, etc....
Specter's chosen his side on this issue. The Administration, Senate Dems, and labor each need to make their own decision about how his potential support on other issues affects the tenor of the campaign against him.
this legislation is terrible. i am an independent contractor for fedex. The teamsters (just who i want representing my economic interests) have tried repeatedly to organize us. no one i repeat no one wants anything to do with them or card check and its onerous requirements. i bought this route at the age of 56 after being down sized out of my two previous jobs. this legislation is nothing more than a lifeline to big unions who long ago stopped looking out for its workers.They are inflexible and corrupt. the proof is that three years ago i bought my route for $5000. last week i was offered $75000 for it. leave us alone we can make our own decisions concerning what is good for our economic welfare.