Taft-Hartley has been in the news lately.
Florida ports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale would be directly hit by a strike or lockout but a stoppage would also rattle overall transport and trade, which accounts for 550,000 jobs in the state and $66 billion in economic activity, Florida Governor Rick Scott said in a letter dated Thursday.
"The threat to national safety and security that would result from mass closure of ports cannot be overstated," Scott told Obama.
Scott said Obama had the power under 1947's Taft-Hartley Act to prevent or interrupt a work stoppage at the ports. Presidents Richard Nixon and George W. Bush both used Taft-Hartley, which calls for 80-day cooling-off periods and mediation, Scott said.
"The Taft-Hartley Act provides your administration with tools that can help avoid this threat," Scott said. "On behalf of the State of Florida, I respectfully request that you invoke the act when the contract ... expires at the end of the month."
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/23/florida-ports-strike_n_2353178.html
The National Retail Federation has dubbed the strike the “Container Cliff”, and while it’s not going to have the same economic impact as the sweeping tax hikes and spending cuts set to be triggered on December 31, it has plenty of businesses worried. As the NRF Vice President Jonathan Gold said in a statement last week:
“It is extremely disheartening to learn that the two sides failed to reach an agreement during today’s negotiations. NRF urges both sides to remain at the table until a deal is reached.
“It is imperative that both sides verbally announce their intentions to return to the negotiations. A coast-wide port shutdown would have a significant impact across all businesses and industries that rely on the ports, particularly retail.
“The last thing the economy needs right now is another strike, which would impact all international trade and commerce at the nation’s East and Gulf Coast container ports. This is truly a ‘container cliff’ in the making.
“The retail industry, once again, calls on President Obama to engage directly in the negotiations. The President should utilize all available tools, including Taft-Hartley, to eliminate even the threat of a strike or lockout. The time for leadership is now.”
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Clearly repealing TH ought to be a top priority for labor and progressive allies. Always surprised that we don't hear much about it in the public discourse.
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