As the days go by, we're getting a bit more of a sense of the potential opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act. On the business front, an article on The Hill notes that tech companies -- which are traditionally Democratic donors ad so have good relationships on that side of the aisle -- are moving into a stance of total opposition. The article quotes Gerry Connolly, a Democratic congressman from Virginia, recalling a meeting he had with local tech leaders.
Connolly expected questions on issues unique to the industry, such as expanding broadband access or raising visa limits for highly skilled foreign workers. But the Fairfax County Board chairman also found himself defending the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a controversial proposal to expand union membership.“They spoke in almost apocalyptic terms and they made it clear they didn't support it,” said Connolly, a Democrat, who would end up winning the race to replace Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), who did not run for reelection. “I was a little surprised by the vehemence of the argument against the bill.”
The article also quotes Gerry Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, saying “the tech industry has been asleep on the switch on this one. If you want to devastate our country economically and shut us down every week with a strike, card-check is the answer.”Actually, card check would probably reduce strikes. Strikes are often a method of hurting employers till they accept a union. Card check allows workers to vote the union into existence on their own. But anyway. Blanche Lincoln, a Democratic Senator from Arkansas, agrees with this sort of thing, and said today that card check was "not necessary." She's up for reelection in 2010, and would rather not face $80 million in ads as the business community seeks to make an example of her. If the business community can get a few of her colleagues to make similar statements, thus proving that they can sustain a filibuster, EFCA will never come up for a serious vote at all.
