AFL-CIO President John Sweeney just released a statement responding to Sen. Arlen Specter’s (R-PA) announcement that he would oppose the labor-backed Employee Free Choice Act — and the labor chief isn’t backing down from the “death blow” framing that’s already being applied to today’s news.
In fact, Sweeney’s remarks are all the more cutting because of their high-minded commitment to keep amassing support for the Employee Free Choice measure, which is labor’s No. 1 priority for the year and would broadly ease union-organizing rules. No matter how you look at it, Specter can forget about getting the state AFL-CIO’s endorsement for the second straight election cycle.
Sweeney’s full statement is posted after the jump.
Today’s announcement by Sen. Specter – a sponsor of the original
Employee Free Choice Act who voted for cloture in 2007 – is frankly a
disappointment and a rebuke to working people, to his own constituents
in Pennsylvania and working families around the country.The fact is the Employee Free Choice Act has more support than ever –
large majorities in both houses of Congress, the President and Vice
President, 73 percent of the public. We will continue to work with
Democrats and a number of Republicans to create commonsense solutions to
the decades of corporate power.We do not plan to let a hardball campaign from Big Business derail the
Employee Free Choice Act or the dreams of workers.There are deep flaws in our labor laws, as Sen. Specter acknowledged
today. The freedom to join together and bargain with employers for fair
wages and better benefits is critical to rebuilding our middle class –
and now is exactly the time to do it, as we begin to revive our economy
in a way that works for everyone. In the coming weeks, we will be
escalating our campaign and finding the best ways forward to a balanced,
strong economy.
