Posts Tagged Employee Free Choice Act
PA-Sen: While Labor Protests Specter’s EFCA Stance, Toomey Makes Run Official
Posted by jaren in 2010 Elections on April 15th, 2009
Yesterday, approximately 300 union workers protested outside of Arlen Specter’s Pittsburgh office due to his recent statement that he would oppose the Employee Free Choice Act that he once co-sponsored. The workers delivered around 12,000 letters to the staff in his Pittsburgh office. This is a huge blow from organized labor for Specter and strengthens the overtone that his political career is in great jeopardy.
With Pat Toomey making his run for Senate official today, Specter is looking to be in great danger. The connection of these two events is significant because if Specter would have supported the Employee Free Choice Act he may have been able to get some Democrats to cross over to the Republican Party to support him in a primary run against Toomey. However, with labor and moderate Democrats alienated by Specter, and moderate Republicans hardly existing in Pennsylvania, Pat Toomey winning a primary against Specter seems very likely.
Granted, this primary is over a year away and we all know that a year is a century in politics. For those who support Specter, just hope that he has somebody with a smart political strategy leading the way.
Labor/Obama Important in 20th District Race
Posted by Jay in 2009 Elections on March 31st, 2009
New York State has one of the strongest and most established labor union forces in the United States. The 20th District’s special election between Tedisco and Murphy has been described as rural but it includes an enclave of labor in the resort town of Saratoga Springs; as well as the affluent–civil service– suburb of Albany: Clifton Park.
Organized labor has made it a goal of helping Scott Murphy by being the vanguard of Murphy’s get-out-the-vote mobilization in the 20th district.
An email by the Capital District Area Labor Federation 2 days ago was even written by Scott Murphy.
I am writing to ask you for one final request — please take a few hours out of your day to volunteer tomorrow, on Election Day. To sign up for a volunteer shift, please email nicki.weiner@gmail.com.
I also wanted to let you know of one final event that the Capital District Area Labor Federation will be hosting. Tomorrow, at 5pm at the Park and Ride, Clifton Park (Exit 8 off the I-87 Northway) we invite you to join former Congressman Mike McNulty, Capital District Area Labor Federation President Joe Fox, PEF President Ken Brynien, and CSEA President Danny Donohue, along with my father and many other local labor leaders for a GOTV Rally to thank everyone for what you have done and what you will continue to do…
Thank you for your continued support:
Scott Murphy
The New York Times (Hat tip to the Times Union Lydia Kulbida’s Blog) City Room reports that organized labor is going so far as passing out a flier that doesn’t even mention Scott Murphy but rather correlates electing Murphy to giving Obama a hand!
The low turn-out reported may be a good thing for Murphy as Labor has really given Murphy a helping hand.
If Murphy wins, New York will sustain a friendly labor Democrat for Upstate New York. Furthermore, Obama’s plans will get a clear mandate and Obama will once again have labor to help credit for his political strengths.
This will increase the Obama Administration’s stake in passing the Employee Free Choice Act.
If Tedisco wins, however, it sends an even louder statement to both labor/Obama and even the Employee Free Choice Act. This is because the mainstream media will most likley reconsider Obama’s mandate and popularity. This race really has that much riding on it.
SEIU to Specter: decision was unacceptable
Posted by Jay in 2010 Elections on March 27th, 2009
Truthfully, I think labor was blindsided by Specter’s coming out against the Employee Free Choice Act.
But the last 48 Hours, the SEIU has been tieing up Specter’s phone lines.
I recieved a second email from the SEIU email serve encouraging me to call, or email, if the phone lines were still busy letting him know his decision to come out against the EFCA was unacceptable.
Arlen Specter needs to know that you can hold him accountable. Pennsylvania needs the secure jobs that would become possible with the Employee Free Choice Act. If it becomes law, the act would help almost 1 million Pennsylvanians and pump more than $2 billion into the state’s economy.
That’s what Senator Specter is denying your state by not supporting a debate on the Employee Free Choice Act.
Senator Specter can bring this change – but he needs to hear from you now.
Thanks for all you do.
In solidarity,
Andy Stern
President
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Meanwhile, it seems that the senate majority leader Reid may be looking to push the Employee Free Choice Act legislation later when the senate has a stronger majority, now that the talks between Specter becoming a Democrat have “Kind of Stopped”. This coming from CBS News where Reid is telling liberal groups to back off.