Monday, March 30, 2009
Feinstein defects from EFCA?
Sen. Feinstein issued the following written statement:
“I have thought for some time that the way to approach this issue is by trying to see if there can’t be a compromise between the business community, the agriculture community and labor. This is an extraordinarily difficult economy and feelings are very strong on both sides of the issue. I would hope there is some way to find common ground that would be agreeable to both business and labor.”
With Sen. Specter's (R-PA) previously announced opposition, it looks less and less likely that EFCA will be passed this year.
When even Sen. Feinstein appreciates the timing problem of legislatively increasing labor costs during a steep recession, perhaps there is hope.
UPDATE: Language ("in 2007") added in first sentence to reflect the 2007 co-sponsorship of EFCA by Sen. Feinstein. H/T: Anon commenter.
6 Comments:
By 
, at
Mon Mar 30, 03:50:00 PM:
Labor will continue to push hard (Kimberly Strassel of the WSJ wrote a good piece on the topic last week). What pushing hard means is open to interpretation, unless Labor will bail on card check entirely and focus on the arbitration provision, which is equally frightening for business because as written it takes away from business leaders the ability to determine their own fate through negotiations. Put differently, how would you like to have three semi-retired slip-and-fall lawyers from Shamokin, Philadelphia and Allentown decide wages, benefits and work rules for a big group of Comcast employees in Philadelphia for two years? That's what's at stake, and it's potentially crippling. What's worse is that so much attention has been paid to the "card check" aspect of the bill that few have focused on the arbitration provision.
The Centrist
By , at
Mon Mar 30, 04:09:00 PM:
A small amplification. The original post said:
"Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who co-sponsored the Employee Free Choice Act, is apparently wavering on her support of it this year."
If you've followed the history of this particular ideological football you would understand that Feinstein co-sponsored a previous incarnation of this bill during a previous Congress. She is not yet a co-sponsor of the current legislation and, as you can tell from the post, is contemplating not supporting the bill this time around.
By 
davod, at
Mon Mar 30, 05:33:00 PM:
COSTCO Wholefoods and Starbucks have just proposed an alternate which doesn't change the worst aspects of card check, but might encourage some progress.
The problem here is that the mandatory government oversite of wages and conditions slots right in with what the Obama administration would like to do anyway.
Opponents need to keep many eyeballs on what is being done without legislation.
I think it is time to understand that coercion or intimidation by the administration and its allies is going to be the norm.
It is going to be an exhausting four years.
By , at
Mon Mar 30, 06:17:00 PM:
As I recall, Feinstein's husband runs a lucrative business that could be impacted by EFCA.
By Who Struck John, at
Mon Mar 30, 08:56:00 PM:
randian: One wonders how eager Madam Speaker Pelosi would be to pass EFCA if her husband's business interests were in California instead of American Samoa ... I wonder if this is drafted to exclude American Samoa like the federal minumum wage hike was.
By , at
Tue Mar 31, 10:39:00 AM:
Investors Business Daily (a good issue today!) has an article agreeing with the point E81 made in his post, and adding more Dems to the list of those not voting in favor of Card Check now that it matters. It always amazes me that politicians are so willing to polarize the atmosphere with electric issues like Card Check when the votes can serve to undermine the Republican leaders, only to abandon this obviously irresponsible BS when it really counts.
