Union official: Franken 60th vote on card-check

[struggle4progress]

By Kevin Bogardus
Posted: 03/04/09 12:20 PM

Al Franken could be the missing piece of the puzzle for passage of the labor movement’s No. 1 legislative priority this Congress, a senior union official said Wednesday.

Once seated, the Democratic Minnesota Senate candidate would be the 60th vote for cloture in the Senate on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), said Bill Samuel, director of government affairs for the AFL-CIO.

“That is likely to be the case. We are not giving up on other senators,” Samuel said. “In the very worst case, we are going to have to have Al Franken.” ...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/union-official-franken-60th-vote-on-card-check-2009-03-04.html

[marmar]

1. Little wonder they're fighting so hard to delay his seating. Norm is a front for corporate interests

....... as usual.

[ogneopasno]

2. Minnesota's other senator, Amy Klobuchar, said a couple weeks ago the Senate would hold off on EFCA

until Franken was seated. Apparently this is Reid's decision.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

3. Not so sure Lincoln & Pryor from the great state of Wal-Mart

err Arkansas. Warner of VA hasn't said anything publicly whether he'll vote aye. Nelson of Neb. is iffy.

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aid=110900.54928.123029

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Sen. Blanche Lincoln said Tuesday she doesn't believe federal legislation that would allow labor organizations to unionize workplaces without secret-ballot elections is necessary, but gave herself room to support the measure if it's brought up later.

Business and labor groups are pressuring the Democratic senator from Arkansas for support either way, and Tim Griffin, a potential challenger to the senator's 2010 re-election bid, has said her stand could be an issue in the race.

"I think the question is, is there a need for this legislation right now? And for multiple reasons, I don't think there is," Lincoln said in an interview with The Associated Press.