WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate denied consideration June 26 of the controversial Employee Free Choice Act by a 51-48 vote.
At least 60 votes were needed to force consideration of the bill, which would have allowed labor unions to organize workplaces without a secret ballot election.
The AFL-CIO vowed to continue lobbying for the measure, with hopes of gaining greater support after the November 2008 election.
Dick Titus, executive director of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Assn., said, “[This] vote was a victory for employees and their fundamental right to a secret ballot, free of coercion or threats. The cabinet manufacturing industry is competing in a global marketplace where much of the competition provides no worker rights and is subject to few of the regulations and taxes U.S. companies must satisfy. A favorable vote would have been the veritable nail in the coffin for many U.S. companies.”
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