Pulse/Impulse

This past week, legislation was introduced in the Pennsylvania General Assembly that would extend the protections of the current anti-discrimination statute to cover lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. More info here.

The Employee Free Choice Act was introduced in Congress again and the Republicans are losing their minds. According to John McCain, EFCA is a “threat to one of the fundamentals of democracy.” EFCA would make it easier for employees to organize a union by allowing the workers, rather than the employer, to decide whether there will be secret ballot election. This is the most discussed provision in the EFCA, but it also includes another very important provision. EFCA will mandate binding arbitration when a union and an employer cannot agree on their first contract within 120 days. Most people are aware that employers bring in union-busters any time there is talk of organizing among the workers, but less well known is that 44 percent of new unions never get a first contract. When the union-busters’ intimidation tactics fail to work in the secret ballot election, they turn their attention to delaying the implementation of a contract (because after a year, another vote is required under current law). So while this provision is currently less controversial, and while the Right is gnashing its teeth over “check card,” this may end up being the provision that does the most to improve conditions for workers.

Rachel Maddow (my current girl crush) does a great job of debunking some of the lies about the “card check” provisions in EFCA.

Also this past week, we learned that there is a new ballot initiative in the works in California. Although in its very early stages, if passed, the Domestic Partnership Initiative, would overturn Proposition 8 and California would begin recognizing domestic partnerships between all couples, while marriage would be relegated to a social ceremony. I have always thought this to be a fine response to the marriage issue, but according to this article, both sides of the Proposition 8 debate hate the idea. What I really like about the idea is that it basically says to the Religious Right, much like you would say to a child “If you don’t want to share, nobody gets to play.”

I’m also very excited that Van Jones is joining the Obama administration. I saw him speak several weeks ago and he is an inspiring attorney and organizer in the environmental justice movement. Read about him.