Hoffa meeting with Vice President Biden

[Omaha Steve]

http://forums.detnews.com/redesign/blogs/dcblog/index.cfm?blogid=654

Posted by David Shepardson (The Detroit News) on Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 10:03 AM
Hoffa meeting with Vice President Biden

Teamsters President James P. Hoffa is meeting today with Vice President Joe Biden, the White House said in a statement. Hoffa and other organized labor leaders are urging the White House to win passage of the Employee Free Choice Act this year in Congress -- a bill that would make it much easier for unions to organize new members. Hoffa was one of the first major labor leaders to endorse Obama during his hotly fought primary battle with then Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

But the Obama Administration has indicated it isn't interested in winning immediate passage of the act in the face of the struggling economy. Obama didn't commit to winning passage this year, but Biden told CNBC he wanted to see it pass in 2009.

"This year. This year, we hope. Our expectation is this year, this calendar year, that we will move, and hopefully with some bipartisan support, to dealing with this issue," Biden said.

Business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce argue the bill -- also known as "card check" because unions could get recognition through winning a majority of employee signatures -- is unfair and would end the requirement of a secret ballot before a union is recognized.

Hoffa, who heads the 1.4 million member union, splits time between Washington, D.C. and his home in Oakland County.

[bluestateguy]

1. Getting EFCA passed will be a bitch

A real bitch. I wish I could be optimistic, but I can't. We also might want to wait until we get Al Franken to the Senate before getting started.

[Muttocracy]

2. K&R