WSJ: "Obama Finesses Labor Agenda"
Against the backdrop of the White House's Chrysler-UAW deal, today's Wall Street Journal assesses the President's approach toward labor interests during his first 100 days thus:
Business groups say that, generally, Mr. Obama hasn't bowed to labor as much as they feared. "It was a fear in the business community that we would see more right out of the gate," said Michael Eastman, executive director of labor policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He said he wasn't sure whether some pro-labor initiatives haven't moved ahead in Congress because of the focus on the economy or because the administration wants to avoid a fight with business .
Mr. Obama has said he supports the Employee Free Choice Act, a measure that would make it faster and easier for unions to organize workers and a top priority for labor leaders. But the president hasn't actively promoted the legislation, which business groups oppose because they say it wouldn't give them time to campaign against union organizing and could force labor contract terms they can't afford.
Bill Samuel, director of government affairs for the AFL-CIO, said the labor federation gives Mr. Obama "a lot of credit for having a very bold agenda" on labor. But another union official said labor leaders would like Mr. Obama to push more aggressively for the unionizing bill.
