Labor

Top Union Presses Senators To Ditch Union-Busting Push By House GOP

Brian Beutler | April 20, 2011, 12:43PM

A powerful union is lobbying Democratic and Republican congressional negotiators to make sure they don't curtail worker rights when they finalize new FAA legislation.

A conference committee composed of a bipartisan group of senators and congressmen will soon sort out differences between two different versions of the bill. But the House bill contains a provision that would make it much more difficult for airline and rail workers to form unions. More on that provision here -- it would reinstate old rules that count abstentions as "no" votes in union elections, thus stacking the deck against pro-union workers.

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Topics: Barack Obama, Barbara Boxer, Bill Nelson, Democrats, House of Representatives, Jim DeMint, John Ensign, John Rockefeller, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Labor, Maria Cantwell, Max Baucus, Orrin Hatch, Republicans, Senate, White House

Senate Finance Committee

Rockefeller To Cornyn: You're In The Insurance Industry's Pocket

Rachel Slajda | September 24, 2009, 6:17PM

The Senate Finance Committee markup of its health care reform bill has had a few heated moments over the past few days. But this one, spotted by Think Progress, caught our eye.

Discussing one of Sen. John Cornyn's (R-TX) amendments, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) said, "If there's anything which is clear, it's that the insurance industry is not running this markup, but it is running certain people in this markup."

He went on to say that Cornyn's amendment -- one that would add caveats to an employer mandate -- "is about giving subsidies to insurance companies... instead of giving it, helping people. This is the grandfather of all grandfathers."

"With all due respect, Senator, I don't know what amendment you're referring to --," Cornyn said.

"I'm referring to yours," Rockefeller said.

"You're certainly not referring to my amendment --," Cornyn said.

"I am," Rockefeller said.

Video after the jump.

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Topics: Health Care, Jay Rockefeller, John Cornyn, John Rockefeller, Senate Finance Committee