Columnist | David J. Sanders

Is Lincoln shifting on EFCA?

By David J. Sanders

With tensions mounting in Washington as business and labor groups increase pressure on Arkansas’ two U.S. senators in anticipation of vote on the Employee Free Choice Act, there are subtle hints that Sen. Blanche Lincoln may be preparing to vote “no.”

And, Arkansas’ lawmakers may soon enter the fray by weighing in on the controversial legislation in an attempt to turn up the heat on the state’s congressional delegation.

If passed, EFCA, also known as “card check,” would allow union officials to bypass existing laws governing the process of how and when a union can be established, and allow them to set up a union by simply obtaining signatures from a majority of workers on authorization cards.

Supporters contend the current labor law, which requires a secret ballot vote by workers to form a union, is outdated. Opponents counter that changing the law would open the door for union officials to coerce workers into signing the cards and, in turn, lead to mass unionization of the country’s businesses and industries.

In spite of Arkansas’ right-to-work status and its insignificant union membership, Sens. Mark Pryor and Lincoln have emerged as two of the swing votes that will either help or hinder Majority Leader Harry Reid’s effort to reach the 60 votes needed for passage. Reid and other Democratic leaders promised labor unions quick action on the EFCA, but that could be in jeopardy.

Even though Lincoln hasn’t officially signaled which way she intends to vote, she may be edging closer to voting against it.

The senator’s campaign staff has been busy making phone calls trying to round up support for her second re-election campaign in anticipation her March 14 fund-raiser with Vice President Joe Biden. At least two times when individuals who were called expressed apprehension about Lincoln’s indecisiveness on EFCA, they were told in response not to worry about that.

Lincoln’s possible new direction makes sense. The co-host committee for her re-election kickoff reads like a virtual laundry list of business executives from industries opposing EFCA. A “no” vote from Lincoln would be major blow to the Democratic leadership and the White House, which strongly supports the legislation.

As for Pryor, after being a co-sponsor in the past, he said he would not attach his name to bill this time around.  Pryor believes a compromise bill that both business and labor could agree to should emerge.

While Lincoln and Pryor are publicly uncommitted, members of the state House of Representatives will soon have an opportunity to go on the record.

State Rep. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, will file a resolution calling on his colleagues to oppose “‘Card Check’ and Forced, Compulsory Binding Arbitration in Union Recognition Elections,” as stated in the title.

Even though the resolution wouldn’t require Gov. Mike Beebe’s signature, don’t look for the governor to mirror Washington Democrats. Beebe’s position, according to his spokesman, is that “now is not the time to address the card check issue given the current state of the American economy.”

King, the Republican leader in the House, has all of his GOP lawmakers on board, but he also has 12 Democratic co-sponsors for his toughly worded resolution. If passed by the House, the resolution would provide Lincoln more needed cover from her Democratic leadership and out-of-state unions. And, coming out against EFCA also could help her to fend off a potentially strong Republican opponent – something she likely has thought about.
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David Sanders writes twice weekly for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock and is the host of Arkansas Education Television Network’s “Unconventional Wisdom.” His e-mail address is DavidJSanders@aol.com.

8 Comments For This Post

  1. thebert99 Says:

    Wouldn’t shifting her position mean that she had actually taken one?

  2. norgi Says:

    I don’t know who you have to be to get a “don’t worry” from Blanche Lincoln. Oh, wait, I remember now:
    Stephens Group $30,900
    DaVita Inc $29,500
    Wal-Mart Stores $25,800
    Tyson Foods $24,750
    Goldman Sachs $24,000
    AT&T Inc $23,500
    Weyerhaeuser Co $22,000
    Entergy Corp $21,982
    JPMorgan Chase & Co $21,857
    Blue Cross/Blue Shield $21,000
    Hartford Financial Services $20,500
    Connell Co $20,000
    Alltel Corp $19,500
    National Thoroughbred Racing Assn $19,500
    Bryan Cave LLP $19,000
    College of American Pathologists $18,000
    Acadian Ambulance Service $17,999
    Pfizer Inc $17,500
    National Rural Electric Cooperative Assn $17,249
    Triad Hospitals $16,500

  3. davidjsanders Says:

    The criticism often made by Lincoln’s detractors is that she isn’t smart…politically speaking. I fundamentally reject the criticism. In fact, Lincoln has shown herself to be a fairly shrewd political operator who manages to get a lot of mileage out her eventual positions on controversial issues.

  4. norgi Says:

    Misdirected (or directionless) shrewdness is not helpful.

  5. davidjsanders Says:

    It’s never directionless

  6. norgi Says:

    Hard to decide which is worse.

  7. Lefty Says:

    It’s going to be a long next several years for business. It looks like at least 58 Senators (w/ Franken seated) support EFCA, and Nancy Pelosi could pass this in the House on her worst day with one hand tied behind her back. The President supports it, and you have to assume NLRB will be more and more labor friendly with each passing month under Obama. Republicans found a slippery parliamentary way to get Bush’s tax cuts through the Senate in 2001 without requiring 60 votes, I’ll bet Democrats and labor get crafty on this. Also, it looks like the big players undecided on this (Lincoln, Pryor, Spector, Landrieu) are all of the moderate type that would love to cut a deal. What do the 2010 Senate elections look like, it could get even harder for business, couldn’t it?

  8. davidjsanders Says:

    I’m not comfortable making political predictions this far out — who knows what will happen in six months? That said, the Republicans are stuck and aren’t moving anytime soon, unless, of course, the President does something to help.

5 Trackbacks For This Post

  1. Shopfloor » Blog Archive » Card Check: EFCA Will Be Introduced Next ….Wait! Just Wait! Says:

    [...] In what’s probably related news/commentary, from Arkansas: “Is Lincoln shifting on EFCA?” [...]

  2. Sanders: Lincoln Leaning 'No' On Card Check? | The Arkansas Project Says:

    [...] love David Sanders for obsessing over the question of where Arkansas senators are on the union-backed card check legislatio…, so that I don’t have to. In today’s column, Sanders goes with a blind item suggesting [...]

  3. It’s on: Obama promises Card Check passage. at The K. Ryan James blog Says:

    [...] of breaking news, my columnist friend in Arkansas, David Sanders, writes that Mrs. Lincoln may be shifting into the “Nay” column (which will bring plenty of attention to the good Senator from union [...]

  4. News Affecting Arkansas High Schools for 03/07/2009 « Arkansas High Schools Says:

    [...] Title: Is Lincoln shifting on EFCA? | Arkansas News [...]

  5. On “free choice” and 60 at The K. Ryan James blog Says:

    [...] not whether she will vote against it for passage, as she has reportedly indicated to some well-heeled business leaders who attended her weekend fundraiser with Joe [...]

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