Democratic senators have decided to drop a provision that would have allowed workers to form a union if a majority of employees sign cards, the New York Times reported Friday.
The move came in an attempt to secure a filibuster-proof 60 votes for the labor bill to which the provision, popularly known as “card-check,” was attached, the Times said in a front-page story.
Though Democrats have 60 votes in the Senate, several Democratic senators have voice opposition to the provision and announced their intentions to vote against the bill if card check were a part of it.
A revised labor bill will require shorter unionization campaigns and faster union elections, giving employers less time to pressure workers against the unionization, the Times reported.
An anonymous union official told the paper that even without card check, the labor bill, known as the Employee Free Choice Act, will still dramatically change labor relations.
Business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Trucking Associations, have staunchly opposed card check, saying that it would allow union leaders to more easily pressure employees to unionize.
