In a White House interview on the economic stimulus yesterday with reporters from regional newspapers, President Barack Obama reiterated his support for the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation sought by organized labor that would make it easier for workers to organize, gain bargaining rights and negotiate first contracts. He told the journalists that he would not urge Congress to delay action on the bill, and he rejected the arguments of big business groups that the bill would increase costs and is therefore bad for the economy.

“I don’t buy the argument that providing workers with collective-bargaining rights somehow weakens the economy or worsens the business environment,” the president said. “If you’ve got workers who have decent pay and benefits, they’re also customers for business.”