Just Call the Gov, Mr. Union
In a move that seemed more appropriate to a die-hard pro-labor Democrat, republican Governor George Pataki signed legislation authorizing card check recognition of unions in New York State and followed with a pro-labor speech---all on live video feed to the AFL-CIO convention in as Vegas. Although the new law will apply only to employees not covered by the NLRA, it will allow those workers form unions as soon as they receive the signatures of a majority of employees at any given company---thereby avoiding drawn out elections in which employers often defeat organizing drives. While some question Mr. Pataki's motives in approving pro-labor legislation with a difficult reelection campaign not far in the future, for now labor leaders are not looking this gift horse in the mouth.
See "Just Call the Gov, Mr. Union", JUAN GONZALEZ, New York Daily News, December 5, 2001