Alexi Giannoulias on EFCA

The winner of the Illinois Democratic Senate Primary, Alexi Giannoulias, participated in an interview with Adam B from the Daily Kos. Of course, Giannoulias backs EFCA. Now that card check is obviously dead, he points to one of EFCA's stronger provisions to protects workers' rights: binding arbitration.

I would like to highlight one measure in the bill that I don’t think gets discussed enough: binding arbitration. Under current law, if a newly formed union does not come to a contractual agreement with an employer within the first year of the union’s existence, employees must hold a second election to keep the union. In that second election, a majority of employees must vote in favor of keeping the union in order for the employees to remain unionized. Binding arbitration would ensure that workers who wish to form a union are able to obtain a contract and that their first vote is honored.

EFCA opponents recognize that as a stalling technique, resisting a contract opens the door for crushing a union with anti-union education seminars, intimidation, bribery, and dismissal or reassignment. I don't know if Giannoulias has a shot in this political climate, especially if Massachusetts elected Scott Brown. Regardless, I'm pleased with his stance on labor and if he can marshal or energize Democratic voters...somehow.