Arlen Specter is Switching Parties!

[KrazyHorse]

By the way, I'm always in favour of elected representatives changing parties. Parties have too much power under the current setup (I'm talking about under most or all of the electoral systems in use today, rather than in the US in particular).

It might not be a move of conscience, but it will likely give the people of Pennsylvania somebody closer to the average temperament/ideology of that state than Specter losing in the primary would have (WHOEVER won the general).

[Arrian]

So instead of preventing workers from any reprisals, we should just shift who gets to do the reprisals?

That sounds.... stupid.

That's my PoV on this as well. I'm in favor of strengthening protections for workers. I'm dubious about the current setup of the EFCA.

...

Specter

Such a typical politician.

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/29/AR2009042901142.html

Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) began his first full day as a Democrat since the early 1960s at a party-switching celebration hosted by President Obama and Vice President Biden. He ended it by casting another vote against Obama, opposing his budget as too authoritarian in the rules it establishes for the health-care debate later this year.

[Q Classic]

Eh. Funny, yes. But it still hurts the GOP more than anything.

[chequita guevara]

How about what they do to get more and more workers to sign up for the 50%? My executive agency has busted enough union bosses to know that they aren't all honest.

Who violates employees rights more often?

[Q Classic]

Who violates employees rights more often?

A good employee violates his or her own rights for the company!

[chequita guevara]

[Zkribbler]

So, they returned your own money, and you are happy about that?

Ah, so you don't believe in upholding contracts. In less than a decade, we've more than doubled the workers' salaries, and in return, the union gets 1% of their salaries. But now, you appear to be saying that even that 1% belongs to the employees. Maybe they'll give us their raises instead.

[Ramo]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...042901142.html

Well, he voted against an even more conservative budget last week. I didn't expect him to flip flop so quickly. And besides, his vote against reconciliation doesn't matter; the provision is in there. OTOH, reading the tea leaves from the press conference, the party switch probably secured his vote for health care reform.

On EFCA, what needs to be done is to reduce intimidation from employers against union organizers. Card check very well may not be the best way. I'd settle for tougher enforcement mechanisms and shorter windows between a petition for an election and an election. That appears to be roughly where an EFCA compromise would go.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Who violates employees rights more often?

So basically, we should ignore violations of employee rights if it is done by a group that does it less than another group?

Once again, sounds stupid.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'd settle for tougher enforcement mechanisms and shorter windows between a petition for an election and an election. That appears to be roughly where an EFCA compromise would go.

Also to prohibit any firings between the petition and election mandate that the voters will be all of the people working for the company when petition is filed, regardless of employment status on day of election.

[chequita guevara]

As if you could enforce that. How many years behind are you on retaliatory firings?

[Imran Siddiqui]

How couldn't you? Payroll records would be able to suffice.

[chequita guevara]

Please, it takes years for workers to get justice from you guys.

[Imran Siddiqui]

So lets allow them to have their rights run roughshod over by the unions? Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?