Partial Victory

In an important first step the House has voted for card check elections for workers who want to organize unions in the US. Card check, a right that most workers in industrialized have, gives workers the ability to vote for the union by signing a card and if a majority sign the card the union is in. In the US the law makes the process of organizing the union very difficult because once workers sign a card they then have to have an election after a set period of time. During the set period of time the boss, and his league of well healed anti-union consultants, always intimidate, cajole, fire, bribe, terrify, etc...the workers with the intent of defeating the union drive. Common arguments used, and they hone them to individual workers after doing extensive research/intelligence are strikes, union dues, "we don't need a third party or new boss," and the perennial favorite "we made mistakes in the past but now that we have this wake-up call things will get better."

The anti-union campaign works. I've seen the toughest steelworker reduced to tears over the threats from the boss or pressure from his wife/friends, workers fired the day after the campaign, workers re-assigned to shitty jobs they didn't want, others who were leaders in the drive promoted the day before the vote to send a message that they had flipped, etc...

Bush will veto the bill. Congress will not over-ride.

Google (News) card check to see how the rulers and their lackeys in the media think how important this issue is.