Card Check Remains A Top Priority for AGC

The debate and speculation on the "so-called" Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) remains a top priority for AGC.  The top Senate supporter of the bill,Senator Harkin (D-Iowa) has said that he is trying to work with Senator Specter(D-Pa.) to come up with a compromise on EFCA.  If he were able to forge such a compromise, Sen. Harkin said that he would seek to push the "compromise"directly to the Senate floor without Committee hearings which would limit any attempt to amend the bill.   If unable to come to a compromise, Sen.Harkin has called for the Senate to vote on legislation. While there are rumors of a limited number of Senators working on a compromise, thedetails of any such compromise remain under wraps.  Possible components of such a compromise could include of using post-cards instead of secret ballot elections, so-called "quickie" elections to be held within a certain timeframeand increasing access to the workplace by union organizers.  AGC remains firm in its belief that there can not be any compromise. We have a deep concern that even a genuine and well-intended proposal for a compromise could become a "Trojan horse" that EFCA's proponents would simply use to sneak EFCA past a cloture vote in the Senate.   Unless and until EFCA's proponents completely and irreversibly abandon that legislation, the risk of a compromise becoming a "Trojan horse" for EFCA will remain too great for this industry to entertain any discussion of compromise.  Click here to send a letter of opposition on EFCA.  Top target states are Arkansas, Virginia, Colorado, Louisiana and Nebraska.   All Senators need to keep hearing about opposition to EFCA.