With the Obama administration promoting efforts to unionize workplaces, Sen. John Thune warned business leaders Tuesday that they should be ready to mobilize against congressional efforts to help labor groups organize employees.
"We cannot let up. We have to be vigilant. We've got to stay on this issue. This is organized labor's No. 1 priority," the South Dakota Republican said to about 250 business and chamber representatives from eight states attending a U.S. Chamber of Commerce conference. "We have to defeat this. ... We have to be prepared because this could happen on very short notice."
Thune and other GOP leaders in Congress have denounced Democratic-sponsored legislation - formally known as the Employee Free Choice Act - that both labor and business agree would make it easier for workers to organize.
Also called "card check," the measure would allow workers to check "yes" or "no" on an open ballot to decide whether to unionize. It also would expand the federal government's power to dictate contract terms in case of a dispute.
The issue received a boost Monday when Vice President Joe Biden said the Obama administration remains interested in moving ahead with the bill.
The White House Task Force on the Middle Class said: "While raising the unionized share of the work force would not close the gap between income and productivity, it would help to provide low- and middle-income workers with some of the clout they need to claim a fairer share of the fruits of their labors."
...
"Chamber of Commerce people seem to think that if you keep giving money to corporations, that will fix the country," said Mark Anderson, president of the South Dakota State Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. "That's not what we need. We need money in the pockets of working people because they're the ones that spend the money. They're the ones that drive the economy."
South Dakota Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin said there's room to improve the bill, but she supports its underlying goal.
"Workers should get a right to vote whether or not to organize a union, free from pressure or fear of retribution from fellow employees, unions or their employer, and that vote should be transparent and fair," she said in a statement.
South Dakota Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson is a co-sponsor of the bill. He has said that he's not sure how he'll vote if it comes to the floor, but he would like to see a compromise.
Thune sees no wiggle room.
"This is a black-and-white issue, and we need to keep it that way," Thune said
