Well... I Guess We Have Our Answer... Thanks A Load Senate Democrats...

[WillyT]

This morning...

Are Senate Dems About To Cave On GOP Union-Busting?
BRIAN BEUTLER - TPMDC
FEBRUARY 6, 2012, 5:20 AM

Article: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/labor-blast-senate-democrats-anticipating-cave-on-union-busting-legislation.php

*********************************************************

This afternoon...

Senate Dems Greenlight Key Anti-Union Bill
BRIAN BEUTLER - TPMDC
FEBRUARY 6, 2012, 6:05 PM

<snip>

With the help of Senate Democrats, Congress took its final step Monday toward enactment of long-term FAA reauthorization legislation, despite an aggressive last-minute effort by organized labor to kill the package.

The final vote was 75-20, with — not nearly enough Democratic opposition to prevent a supermajority from passing it and sending it off to President Obama for a signature.

Further background here. Democrats and Republicans have been tussling over this bill for a year now, with the key flashpoint being language aimed at preventing transportation workers from forming unions. In the end, Democratic leaders agreed with Republicans on a new measure that largely accomplishes the same anti-union goals — and labor officials are steamed.

<snip>

Article: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/senate-dems-greenlight-key-anti-union-bill.php

[Vincardog]

1. If some Democrats are not going to stand with the unions

it is time for the unions to turn their backs on those democrats

[neverforget]

2. But they got a win!!!!!!

At the expense of unions........

[WillyT]

22. Yeah... Not A Win... A Pothole...

We need some SERIOUS infrastucture work... if, know what I mean?

[peace frog]

62. another fine example of bipartisanship

GOP: "Bipartisan is when you do it OUR way. Or else you commie pinko Democrats can hit the highway."

[renie408]

3. Well, that is pretty damn disappointing. n/t

[spanone]

4. the senate hasn't voted on it yet. if almost every democrat in the house voted against it...

there's hope that the senate will vote it down.

------------------------

Labor is in effect asking Senate Dems to squash the agreement. But Republican leaders passed it in the House over the objection of nearly every Democrat, and the hope is that Senate Democratic rank and filers will follow suit.

The Communications Workers of America — which has led the push to pass a clean FAA reauthorization — will amplify their efforts Monday. But they’re short on time. And if the bill passes unchanged, it threatens to widen a rift between labor and incumbent Democrats this election year.

“CWA and other opponents urge the U.S. Senate to delete the provisions of the proposed
compromise legislation that would amend the Railway Labor Act and to instead move a clean version of the FAA legislation forward,” CWA said in an official statement. A big one to watch.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/labor-blast-senate-democrats-anticipating-cave-on-union-busting-legislation.php

[WillyT]

5. Um...

Senate Passes FAA Bill With Anti-Union Measure
Michael McCauliff - HuffPo
Posted: 02/ 6/2012 6:20 pm

<snip>

WASHINGTON -- The Senate passed a Federal Aviation Administration bill on Monday that includes an anti-union measure bitterly opposed by labor groups.

The bill, which modernizes America's air traffic control system and funds the FAA through 2014, was fought over for four years, leading to a partial shutdown of the FAA last summer because of anti-union measures added by the Republican-controlled House.

It passed 75 to 20, with a majority of Democrats backing it.

Among the controversial provisions were changes to labor law for rail and airline workers -- backed by the airline industry -- that would count anyone who did not vote in an election for a union as voting against it, making it much more difficult to certify attempts to organize new unions.

That measure was stripped in a conference committee to work out differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill, only to be replaced by another that raises the threshold for seeking a union from requiring 35 percent of workers' signatures to requiring half.

<snip>

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/senate-passes-faa-bill_n_1258430.html

[spanone]

7. whoops, my bad

i read that the final vote was monday and they were talking about today.\



read it wrong.

mea culpa

[WillyT]

8. Wow... THAT's A Relief... Those Silly Labor Union Leaders Sure Do Exaggerate... Don't You Think ???

BTW - By "final vote" do you mean... passed in BOTH houses, and reconciled in conference, and THEN voted upon ???

Because as far as I'm concerned the Senate VOTED today... and the "Democratically Controlled" Senate just spoke VOLUMES.

[WillyT]

9. It's All Good... I'm Finding It Pretty Unfuckingbelievable Myself...

[mmonk]

6. It's the ELEPHANT in the room that isn't discussed

but what do I know, I'm an Occupy troublemaker and liberal "purist".

[WillyT]

10. Word !!!

[mmonk]

12. .

[chervilant]

51. You, too?!?!

Wow! Voice one teensy concern about the policies of our POTUS, or any other politician du jour, and all-of-a-sudden...

PURIST!!!

(I deign not to use the snark emoticon, since the vast majority of my peers are erudite enough to recognize sarcasm when they see it...)

[FedUp_Queer]

56. Hey....

I'm one of those, too. People hate it when I ask why I should support a president who signs laws that allow him to indefinitely detain people or he supports killing of American citizens without trial. Now this...

Queue (or is it "cue&quot the "do you want President Romney?"; "Would you rather have McCain and Palin?"; or "It's the long game."

When I tell people I just can't vote for Obama, they look at me funny...and ask wouldn't the GOP be worse? After this and so many other things, my heart tells me..."yeah, probably." Then, I look at the facts, and I'm not so sure. DISCLAIMER...this is not a fascism comparison, but a stark one. It has a "yeah, but he has the trains running on time" excuse/feel to it.

[limpyhobbler]

11. It's a leadership problem.

When republicans are in the majority, if there is any provision they don't like, they kill it instantly in committee. It never sees the light of day. Why can't the Dems do that too?

I can understand compromise. But on something this important they should have at least put up a big fight before compromising.
They could have appealed to the public to try to activate some calls and emails, put some pressure on. They didn't even try to stop it.

Harry Reid should be replaced as leader.

[FiveGoodMen]

15. "Why can't the Dems do that too?"

Only possible answer: They're not trying.

[cstanleytech]

41. Makes me glad I am not one of them though, after all its either commit seppuku

with the unions by supporting the bill with the nasty parts attached or block it and then watch the republicans use it against them in the elections.

[msongs]

13. why of course Obama will veto it even though it might be overriden lololol yeah right nt

[WillyT]

16. Well... Not Really...

FAA bill sent to Obama by Senate
By BURGESS EVERETT | Politico
2/6/12 6:23 PM EST

<snip>

After 1,590 days and 23 short-term extensions, Congress finally gave the FAA a long-term funding bill. The Senate voted, 75-20, Monday evening to send the conference report to the White House, where President Barack Obama is expected to sign it. The House passed the bill Friday.

<snip>

More: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/72522.html

[sabrina 1]

14. What is wrong with them? Are they trying to get people upset?

[WillyT]

17. VOTE RESULTS HERE:

Link: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00015#position

Unfuckingbelievable...

[sabrina 1]

18. Kerry? And Levin?

Well, it will be interesting to see how the Unions react to this. Looks like they got sold out.

[WillowTree]

35. Durbin and Schumer, too. Wow..........

[sabrina 1]

36. Unbelievable. So who are the 'better Dems' again?

[Fuddnik]

65. BUT WE DON'T HAVE 60 VOTES!!!!!!!

Oh. Only 15 Dems voted "NAY". The other 5 were Repukes.

Do we know how to win elections, or what?

[mmonk]

19. I didn't even need to look to know how my Senate New Democrat Coalition Senator voted.

[The Genealogist]

20. I'm glad McCaskill voted against it

helps a little to make up for her past errors in judgement.

[WillyT]

21. Minnesotans Can Hold Their Heads High, But Californians (Like ME!!!)...

[City Lights]

33. Durbin...

Thanks for the link, WillyT.

[Dragonfli]

34. It appears there will be only one to vote for in NY that is not ANTI-UNION

Makes my ticket easier to fill out in a way, mostly local working party people (that is a NY progressive Dem sub-party). Lots of research on write in possibilities for NY (not even sure you can write in anything any more since they switched the system on us.)

Maybe someone will be worth voting for on the ballot on the federal level, if so a write in will not be needed.
Many will vote for anti-union politicians because of this or that brand name, I read the labels on everything I purchase or vote for, it takes more than a brand name slapped on a bottle of poison to get me to drink it and call it soda - something Mr Schumer should consider before selling out workers rights in return for nothing other than whatever contributions he got for his betrayal, same goes to any anti-labor politician signing it into law.

[Puglover]

44. Both my Senators voted nay.

Franken and Klobuchar.

[a kennedy]

63. and both Wisconsin Senators voted yea

Good ol' Al Franken.

[neverforget]

68. Another disappointment by Sen Wyden of Oregon. The other one is him

teaming up with Medicare Killer Ryan. What a fucking idiot.

[Hotler]

23. Not a dimes bit of difference. Wall St. still walks free and now this.

I have no hope. I see no future.

[Honeycombe8]

24. DeMint and Rand Paul voted against it? There must be more than meets the eye here.

I don't know enough about this bill.

[WillyT]

26. Easily Explained...

They thought it was giving a governmental bureaucracy too much money.

They don't want to fund it AT ALL.

[marmar]

25. Just further proof that the system is hopelessly corrupted by corporate money.

A bipartisan screwing.

[FarLeftFist]

27. RI-FUCKING-DICULOUS!

[RainDog]

28. k&r n/t

[joshcryer]

29. 50% rule will sell well on the national level, unfortunately. Thanks FDR.

[xchrom]

30. Du rec. Nt

[Brickbat]

31. Goddamnit, I am sick of this shit.

[unkachuck]

32. K&R....unbelievable....we're governed by millionaires controlled by billionaires....n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

46. Well...

Of the One Percent
By the One Percent
For the One Percent


That works out just fine for THE ONE PERCENT!

[mmonk]

49. That would make a great bumper sticker.

[unionworks]

37. this is not "bipartisan"

It is them pounding the last nails into the coffin of America. It's going to be a interesting spring/summer.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

38. Will this bill's unequal treatment

for airline workers compared to other workers survive a likely Constitutional challenge?

I think not.

But meanwhile, the FAA gets funded. IMO the Democrats have "folded" just the way President Obama "folded" to get the debt ceiling raised. What Obama got the Rs to agree to turned out not to be tens of Billions in budget cuts, but rather $26 Million in cuts.

Let's face it; Republicans are stupid.

[Armstead]

61. No, it just reflects the continmuing declining tereatment of ALL workers

You think the current Supreme Court is going to go against this? Ha!

And in the larger picture, the bar is being lowered for ALL workers. So the idea that this is "unequal treatment" sounds so, quaint and antiquated in the current political environment.

No good reason for this cave in.

[TransitJohn]

39. Shocked! Shocked, I tell ya!!

[riderinthestorm]

40. Gosh, there was an HOUR for DU to ruminate, speculate, derogate on Obama

or praise Obama, or call their rep or senator, protest, try to forestall the trial balloons.... Geez, some people on DU get all worked up because other DUers post the most inflammatory SHIT, and there are threads and threads and threads, and its... just not true!!111111 None of it's true!!!111!

Oh wait....

This DID happen in hours. And DU never did have a chance to rev up and maybe get others involved in protesting, and making their voice heard. And it DID get passed by Congress asap.


Silly me...a sad K&R

[Warren Stupidity]

42. Who do they represent?

[myrna minx]

43. K&R n/t

[Robb]

45. Good.

It's a win for the environment -- read up on the fuel savings the new GPS regulations will produce.

And the 50% union "rule" will be killed by the NLRB through regulatory means.

Bookmark my post.

[jsmirman]

47. Please explain

How can an older statute kill this clearly expressed will of the Congress in a newer statute?

I'd love to believe you, but I don't see how that is going to happen.

[Brickbat]

48. The NLRB has no jurisdiction over unions covered by the Railway Labor Act, which includes those that

represent airline employees. It is unlikely the NMB will work to change anything about the 50 percent rule.

Having done some more reading, I see this vote could have gone much, much worse. Still, I'm annoyed.

[Robb]

60. You're correct, I misspoke (-typed). I meant NMB.

You'll recall the NMB has an appeals court ruling in their favor on the notion that's only weeks old. Hence this bill to cut out the courts.

However, it is at best temporary, and the GOP knows it's nothing to crow about. This bill does not amend the Railway Labor Act (except to add a new section for budget oversight going to the DOT's Inspector General, a Presidential appointment, btw). This bill merely repeals a rule the NMB made in 2011 to interpret that act. The NMB can, and will, make another rule, and it will probably be identical.

Again, bookmark this thread.

[former9thward]

52. It's bookmarked. You are wrong about the NLRB.

[FedUp_Queer]

58. Anyone remember this?

"Understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain, when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself. I'll walk on that picket line with you, as president of the United States of America. Because workers deserve to know that someone's standing in their corner," he said at a rally in Spartansburg, S.C., in November of 2007.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/146091-obama-in-2007-ill-walk-on-that-picket-line-if-bargaining-rights-threatened

[CrispyQ]

66. Who said that? The actor in some movie?

[jsmirman]

50. We are in deep trouble

interesting, though, that perhaps something like this reminds DU of how necessary a feisty brew of debate is, and how it should not be replaced by an echo chamber.

This would seem to me to be a HUGE miscalculation. Union feet on the street CAN and WILL sit an election out if they feel no impetus to campaign for the Dem nominee.

I know this from experience.

This will not only hurt with Union leadership, but also with the rank and file.

Union proclamations from the top are nice, but when you need to enlist the help of your local labor leaders in getting actual people deployed in the service of the campaign - well, don't be surprised if you are told to fuck off.

Trust me, looking at it on this level of union involvement/apathy, 2008 involved a lot of delicate rapprochement.

Add in the fact that Obama is BLACK, and I'm sorry if I'm offending your delicate ears, but that makes the dial that much harder to move for some of the labor personnel you should be hoping to rely on.

Trumka speech was an important - and one of the most moving - part of the last Presidential election cycle - but if it gets stripped of its internal logic, don't expect the same thing to save you.

Unless we're missing something here, the apparent gross miscalculation of all this is distressing.

[chervilant]

53. Well, now...

The fact that most of us continue to participate in the Kabuki Theater which is our system of government co-opted for decades by Corporate Megalomaniacs (who've usurped our media, our politics, AND our global economy) is quite distressing. The entire system is broken, and those of us who are capable of discerning this are only now coalescing into a powerful movement. #Occupy is a glimmer of hope that critical thinking is still a vital part of a species which overwhelmingly manifests the scourges of overpopulation, pollution, propaganda, depression, resentments, and fear.

We are like hoarders, incapable of letting go our 'stash' of historically remarkable moments of profound creativity and inventiveness. Much easier for most of us to point to our species' successes and ignore the ginormous elephant under our living room rug (no pun intended). As we teeter on the brink of catastrophic economic change, we can no longer ignore the behaviors and decisions that have landed us in this fine mess.

We must be the change we hope to see in this world.

[woo me with science]

54. Follow the money.

We've been sold.

Occupy.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

55. That "dimes worth of difference" has been whittled down to a wooden nickel.

[FedUp_Queer]

57. Then there's this, too, in the bill...

According to the Chicago Tribune:

The bill, which passed the Senate 75-20 Monday, speeds the nation's switch from radar to an air traffic control system based on GPS technology. It also requires the FAA to open U.S. skies to drone flights within four years.


http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-congress-oks-faa-bill-allowing-drones-in-us-gps-air-traffic-control-20120207,0,3563340.story

[Dragonfli]

67. I was just thinking how much we needed to open up our skies to drones, yipee!!!

do we get to have them armed just in case a death sentence needs to be executed quickly sans trial?

I for one welcome the new sky arm of our corporate overlords!.

[colsohlibgal]

59. 2012 Reality

The big D democratic party is where the republicans used to be, the republicans have moved somewhere maybe just left of Hitler. So at this point compromising with the right is comprising with the John Birch Society Plus.

Old line republicans have no use for the current crew, people like John Danforth, John Dean, Craig Paul Roberst, and before he died even Barry Goldwater.

I hope for real change moving the political baseline way back leftward but it depends on enough of the electorate waking up to smell the coffee.

[Cleita]

64. I think the unions are going to have to call for a nationwide general strike to get

their attention on this one. Screw them and the Mercedes and Rolls Royces they rode in on.