A couple of judges weighed in on behalf of Big Labor the last couple of weeks. First, a federal Judge granted summary judgment in the ATA/Chamber of Commerce suit against the National Mediation Board to stop the proposed voting rule change, effectively allowing the NMB to reverse the voting rules for RLA elections away from they’ve been conducted for 75years. In Arizona, a state judge squashed that state’s attempt to mandate secret ballots in all union elections by blocking a proposition that would have allowed Arizona voters to add such an amendment to the Arizona constitution. 
The House of Representatives attempted a huge end run of state sovereignty by attaching a union-friendly bill to a piece of appropriations legislation. The egregious bill known as the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act (PSEECA) would force states that don’t already do so to collectively bargain with firefighters, police, and other public safety employees. The bill’s constitutionality is questionable, and although it remains to be seen what the Senate will do with it, Sen. Harry Reid has introduced it a couple of times already. Enactment of such a law would only worsen the budget battles facing many states and municipalities, and decimate volunteer fire departments across the country. Finally, in another show of support to unions, Sen. Harkin offered hope that another run at passing the Employee Free Choice Act may be made during the upcoming lame duck session of Congress after the November elections.
