Sen. Specter Doublespeak on Employee Free Choice Act

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        CONTACT: 202-785-0266
17 AUGUST 2009

 

 

The Alliance for Worker Freedom (AWF), an organization established in 2003 to combat anti-worker legislation and promote free and open labor markets is asking Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Penn.) to clarify his position on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), aka “card check”.

Sen. Specter in April 2009:

 

In I will not be an automatic 60th vote, and I would illustrate that by my position on Employee Free Choice, also known As Card Check. I think it’s a bad bill and I’m opposed to it and would not vote to invoke cloture.

 

…four months later on August 14th, he changes his mind:

 

Question: Is it fair to say that on the climate legislation, on employee free choice, on a public option healthcare plan, these are all areas where you would be voting with the majority for cloture to have these up or down votes?

 

         Specter: Yes, no doubt about those three issues at all

In March of this year, Sen. Specter was concerned about the economic impact:

         [The] problem of the recession make this a particular bad time to enact employees choice legislation. Employers understandably complain that adding a burden would result in further job losses

 

…only three months later in June, the Senator again switched his opinion at a rally:

 

I think you will be satisfied with my vote on this issue about union organizing and about first contract.

Which is it Sen. Specter?