CSU board member Blake lobbies Bennet for his ‘community’ against unions

Influential CSU board member Joe Blake went to Washington this week to lobby Sen. Bennett to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act. Blake purports to be speaking for the state’s “business community,” of course, whatever that means. Do a majority of businesses belong to this community and endorse its lobbying efforts? Does the community include investors, owners, managers, workers? Who are the members of this community, exactly?

EFCA preserves secret vote, beats pirates too

A merchant seaman and union member explains to NBC’s Today Show how the Maersk Alabama crew maintained control of their ship during a Somali pirate attack.

Udall spokeswoman says he’ll vote to bring EFCA to Senate floor

Chalk up another vote to bring the controversial Employee Free Choice Act, known as EFCA, to the full U.S. Senate for consideration. Ending plenty of speculation, a spokeswoman for Colorado Sen. Mark Udall on Wednesday morning told The Plum Line’s Greg Sargent the Boulder Democrat will cast a key vote to bring the sweeping labor-backed legislation to a vote.

That brings backers one step closer to the necessary 60 votes required for the Senate to hear the legislation, which would then only need a simple majority vote to pass.

Is Bennet using EFCA as wedge for health care reform?

It appears Colorado’s newest U.S. Senator has been hitting the books on the black arts of political negotiation to use a wedge issue to his advantage.

The Atlantic’s Mark Ambinder writes today on his theory on Sen. Michael Bennet’s maddeningly mute stance on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). It’s a strong-arm tactic to bring labor and business together to negotiate on two causes close to the hearts of progressive activists and entrepreneurs alike: union-organizing and health care reform.

Rep. Lambert pounces on state AFL-CIO director, attacks Employee Free Choice Act

During a hearing on legislation that would reform Colorado’s ballot initiative process, GOP lawmaker stuns colleagues with off-topic questions targeting labor official.

Chomsky: Workers will build the recovery, not Wall Street

With new bailout plans for Wall Street being unveiled almost every week, it’s easy to forget that nearly all of the work that fuels our economy takes place outside of Manhattan. While reviving the financial sector is an important part of recovery, any lasting economic solution must also empower American workers and protect them from corporate abuses.

Workers’ rights are a core issue for our democracy, as progressive icon Noam Chomsky argues in an interview with Paul Jay of The Real News. Chomsky advocates for a much broader palette of reform than a simple cleanup of the financial sector.

Gutsy Betsy Markey remarkably ‘just doing my job’

U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey — the unlikely Democratic newbie from Colorado’s 4th Congressional District — seems still fresh enough in her politics to actually be acting from conviction.

This week she made news for unabashed strong stances on two controversial issues: She defied the president and attorney general by publicly opposing the reintroduction of an assault weapons ban. Then she defied the business lobby and co-sponsored the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).

Big business lobby stumps in Denver to defeat ‘card check’ bill

A representative with the world’s largest business federation was in Denver on Monday to decry H.R. 800, federal legislation that would give workers greater rights to unionize. At the meeting, business leaders were not only told to oppose the proposal by putting pressure on members of Congress, but they were also encouraged to make changes to state law.