As expected, when the U.S. Senate took up consideration of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA)(H.R.800), Republican Senators closed ranks to block a vote on this critical legislation to restore the right to organize. A total of 60 votes are needed under Senate rules to end filibuster and proceed to an actual vote on the legislation. When the late morning vote was called on June 26, an insufficient majority of 51 Senators supported the cloture motion to end the filibuster by Republicans. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) supported ending the filibuster, as did Republican Arlen Specter (PA.) All 48 Senators voting to block the EFCA legislation were Republicans. President Bush had announced his intention to veto the pro-worker bill even in the unlikely event that it would somehow pass.
See how your 2 Senators voted. Go to Senate vote #227 at
www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_110_1.htm
The House of Representatives voted in favor of the EFCA on March 1 by a solid 241-185 margin. See how your Representative voted at clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll118.xml
Commenting on the Senate vote, UE General Secretary-Treasurer Bruce Klipple said, “I want to thank all the UE members who helped push the EFCA this far. This roadblock was expected, and is only temporary. It has been almost 30 years since the struggle to restore the right to organize has come this far, and we now have valuable momentum to win this battle once and for all after the 2008 elections.”
“Big business mounted a ferocious, multi-million dollar lobbying campaign of lies and distortions to block the EFCA. They ran the same kind of campaign against the EFCA that they impose on workers who try to organize a union. They lied, they twisted the facts, and they made up “facts” out of thin air. The only difference being that they could not force Senators to sit through countless hours of browbeating in “captive audience” meetings, nor could they fire any of the Senators for supporting the bill. Both of these tactics are routinely used by companies to smash union organizing efforts and crush first union contract campaigns. The House and Senate votes are now on the record, for all working people to see. We won’t forget.” said Chris Townsend, UE Political Action Director, who was on Capitol Hill for the vote.
For updates as the work to restore the right to organize goes forward, visit the web page of American Rights at Work at www.americanrightsatwork.org/takeaction/efca