Feinstein, Who Co-Sponsored EFCA In 2007, May Not Support It This Time
Uh oh — this could potentially represent ather big setback for supporters of the Employee Free Choice Act. Senator Dianne Feinstein, who co-sponsored the measure in 2007, is now saying she isn’t sure whether she can back it this time around.
Feinstein spokesperson Gil Duran confirms to me that Feinstein hasn’t signed on as a co-sponsor to the current bill yet. He sends over this statement from the Senator suggesting that she’s leaning against backing it this time, at least in its current form:
“I have thought for some time that the way to approach this issue is by trying to see if there can’t be a compromise between the business community, the agriculture community and labor. This is an extraordinarily difficult economy and feelings are very strong on both sides of the issue. I would hope there is some way to find common ground that would be agreeable to both business and labor.”
This is trouble, because Feinstein is citing the economy as a reason for seeking changes to the measure. One big worry for labor is that the economy will be used as cover by Senators who are looking for ways to vote against it for other reasons.
The last thing the pro-EFCA camp needs as it struggles to put together the support of 60 Senators to overcome the GOP filibuster — particularly in the wake of Arlen Specter’s defection — is yet another wavering Dem Senator.
Update: If you want to get a sense of who the other wavering Dems are and why, TPM has a good rundown.
Update: Looks like a campaign is taking shape in California to pressure Feinstein on the issue.
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Feinstein has been very coy about this issue, so this is certainly a more explicit statement than we’ve gotten up until now. Yet, we already knew that Feinstein was wavering on EFCA. (She is one of the 15 Democrats included in this head count as refusing to commit to support EFCA. 9 of them co-sponsored the bill in 2007…)
Feinstein is clearly not running again for reelection in California. As a Californian she is not worthy to be called our representative. If the Dems have any sense she will get opposition in the primary, otherwise put the seat in the GOP caucus. She is the democratic Michelle Bachman!
It now seems clear to me that EFCA isn’t happening this year.
For the time being, what needs to happen is that we need to change the debate from “taking away secret ballots” to “protecting workers from a corporate crime wave.” Introduce legislation that doesn’t just ban the anti-union activity we’ve seen for the past generation (much of which is already illegal, of course) but mandates SERIOUS jail time for the managements and legal firms that engage in it, and funds a sizable federal enforcement force. Associate these managements with the kind of corporate abuse Americans now clearly understand. And use that approach to expose the anti-EFCA apparatus for the corporate thugs they are.
Then, in a couple of years, if we can get a couple more Dems, go back and get EFCA.
I’d rather have EFCA now, but this increasingly seems like it ain’t gonna happen now. So make these Dems put their money where their mouths should be on an issue of defending working people that ought to be a no-brainer.
Honestly, Diane Feinstein can go F— herself.
Seriously, this is a great illustration of just how F—ed up our political process is. She sponsors the bill when she knows it can’t pass, but when her vote is important, she cites the “economy,” as if it is some sentient being that we must respect. Uhh, Diane, the “economy” is made up of people, many of whom are workers, many of such workers would be in better financial situations if they could form unions with greater ease and less management interference. I’d love to see a substantive response to a follow up question along the lines of, “how exactly is the state of the economy causing you to change your vote?”
EFCA isn’t inherently bad for the economy or good; rather, it’s good for workers. But F—ing over workers and regular people is nothing new for Diane Feinstein. She championed post-hoc immunity for telecoms (and for the Bush administration because they had much to worry about from discovery) who illegally spied on Americans.
I pray that the Left gets it’s act together and realizes that just because Obama is in office, there is still much work to be done.. We need to pressure these “moderate” (which really means, opportunisitc and unprincipled i.e. Bahy, Specter, Feinstein) senators to represent the interests of their constituencies and not big business.
Primary challenges anyone?
Feinstein is a big business corporatist. She is not for the people and never has been. Her support was one of the reasons many people in CA did not support Hillary. She represents what is wrong with the Democrats.
When times are good, Feinstein doesn’t want to slow down growth by bolstering unions. When times are bad, she doesn’t want to hurt potential growth by bolstering unions.
I guess she’s just anti-union.
Feinstein and Specter apparently have been bought off with corporate campaign contributions. Let’s wait and see what defectors announce next that they’ve stuck a knife in the back of working people.
Great logic, DiFi. You wouldn’t want something that helps workers negotiate collectively to get a bit more security in a bad economy! Why, exactly, does it hurt business to employ union labor in hard times? Compare the many, many concessions made by the UAW in recent auto bailout talks to the many, many ‘F*ck yous’ from AIG bonus recipients to the American taxpayer. Given that record Feinstein says ‘More like AIG, please’. Nice work if you can get it.
Senator Feinstein has become a traitor to Labor and to the Democratic party. More and more she talks like the old President G Bush and has voted more for Republican and Corporate issues than Democratic. I feel very disappointed that after all the support Californians (including myself) gave her, her heart clearly was on the other side, the corporate side. Her views do NOT represent the California worker in any way. Her reason to vote against EFCA is completely hypocrite at best, to use the economy as a reason is laughable and incredibly insensitive to the Californian labor force. The only thing she is really interested in, is making sure that her Corporate Overlords get what they want and than some more. Feinstein is the new Lieberman, and a danger to any type of progress for the American worker.
What a pathetic dodge by Feinstein. Looks like corporate influence is having it’s predictable impact on the Democratic whores of DC.
I am so sick of this chick I don’t know what to do. If you go back through her career and look at her votes on the big party-line issues, Joe Lieberman had a better voting record.
Natty B couldn’t have said it better, unless it was to tell difi to “go F*** herself twice, or an infinite number of times”. I live in CA and am ashamed at this poor excuse of a senator…
Every Californian EFCA supporter should call and write this Senator’s office asap. It seems that both Feinstein & Spector have sold out the workers in their states to corporate interests. Let’s let them know that we will do what we can to punish them.
Diane Feinstein needs to be replaced California. Time to vote the lady out. She has way too many $$$$$$ coming in from corporations to really go with what her brain tells her is best. She is obviously more interested in campaign donations than what the people truly want or need. This is one democrat that is no longer a viable party member.
I wish I could rec comments there are a bunch here, especially NattyB.
Senator Feinstein, be a man! Come out of the closet. Be honest and state what you truly intend to do and exactly how you feel about EFCA. Just think, “What would Harvey do?”
Why is this a surprise ? really folks. Anyone remember the bankruptcy bill,that’s where i knew this senator(Feinstein) hardly had sympathy for the downtrodden & ordinary folks.
But moreover it’s cuz the dem party has been infested with Dino’s that the very problems we have today with all the deregulation. These Dino’s participated in the destruction of the American middle class.Moreover Feinstein used minority groups to get where she is & then screwed them in the end. She is now talking up the LGBT community.In the end she will used ‘em just like she did with the AA’s & Latino community.Just last year some dems tried to censure her at the Cal-Dem annual meeting but met with resistance from the Dem executives on the board.It’s time to restart that campaign.
It’s time for her to go, she’s cast many votes that are clearly undemocratic. She’s in the pocket of corporate America first and foremost.
As someone who was forecebaly entered into the local SEIU – that is, I don’t even work at a union shop but have to pay the dues – I hope some of you more senior and experienced union memebers can help me get my union to actually respond to me and serve me the way they are touted to do.
I’m serious. I pay these dues, and I’ve read the contract but I don’t see anything in the contract that wasn’t there before, and I get zero response from my local union so-called reps.
I am not anti-union. I’ve never been in one before, and my expectionation (which may be unfounded) is that they are supposed to help me, not just take my dues (taxes) and ignore me. I get enough of that from the government – why would I need any more?
Please help me understand if unions are supposed to help me, or if they are just another tool for transferring my money to fat cats.
Here’s my e-mail address (take out all the ZZZ and put on one line):
wellZZZ
springZZZ
marketingZZZ
@ZZZ
liveZZZ
.ZZZ
comZZZ
Email her. I just did. Let her know we will not stand for her stand against Californian and American workers. Let her know if she panders to her corporate benefactors and stands against EFCA she will not get your vote again, whether it is for Senator or Governor. I for one will NOT vote for her if she does not support this bill. Pathetic.
Union member without recourse:
I think your probably may be that your represented by SEIU. I dont dislike SEIU, so of the work is best in the union world, but some of it is the worst.
You should see if any of your like minded peers agree with you about the inadequacy of your representation. From there, you can try to gain traction with your current local or fight to decertify and join another union.
Its not unheard of for people to switch organizations. I assure you, your problem is not the labor movement (I am a member), it is your local. Use your democratic tools to do something about it.
Exactly. Why support it now that it has a chance to pass. Proof positive that Feinstein is a DINO. Dan White nailed the wrong SF Supervisor. What a shame.
Drown out Feinstein in 2012.
Take Pelousy off the table in 2010.
The real campaign is not being run by the Courage Campaign, which is still struggling with funding and it’s presence on the ground, but by the SEIU California Council, as part of a national campaign by SEIU called Change That Works (CTW – not coincidentally, the inititals of Change to Win).
“particularly in the wake of Arlen Specter’s defection”
Greg….the last word there should have been spelled….defecation. Only missed one letter.
Many years ago I lived in San Francisco and Feinstein was the Mayor. I voted for Jello Biafra–Feinstein was a DINO (Democrat-in-name-only) then and she has not changed.
I’ve lived in San Francisco 30 years and this comes as no surprise.
Whether Sen. Feinstein should cleave to her class loyalties is never an “if” but a “when” question.
She is the quintessential DINO.
The labor movement should know this is what will happen with some so called dems who are in name only.They love themoney and electon support but when the chips are on the line many dems are found wanting. Its time for labor to stop supporting dems and tell them as a whole , no more time wasted on the dem party if it cant deliver on this crucial bill. We used to call them “pinto dems” half pub and have dem. they are of little use and its time to stop putting them in office. what good are they when you need them?
After the Mukasey treason, I vowed not to vote for her in 2012. If she votes against EFCA, I will actively campaign for whomever we can find to put up against her in the primary.
Sam Farr for 2012? Let’s float it.
Anybody know of a fast anonymous web proxy?
Can English as Second Language be Study and Learned Online via QgroupPLC.com ?
This is some really information, I just finished up my paper for school and think i may need to bookmark or save this for the second class lol. You may have just made me a regular