The Republican strategy on Capitol Hill of legislating through hostage taking worked yesterday – and now unions are screwed. House Republicans demanded that a routine FAA spending bill include harsh anti-union language that makes it harder for transportation workers to organize. The change raises the threshold for seeking a union from 35% to 50% for transportation workers – and Republican basically said if Democrats don’t agree to it then they’ll shut down the FAA again – just like they did last year. Yesterday – despite 19 labor organizations writing a letter to Democrats calling on them to oppose the bill – Democrats caved. A majority of Senate Democrats helped pass the bill and new anti-union law for transportation workers by a 75-20 vote. As a letter from the Communication Workers of America read, “Rewarding the House Republican Leadership's desire to rewrite decades of long standing labor law in a flash by inserting an unrelated and controversial labor provision…sets an extremely dangerous precedent." Indeed it does – unfortunately – it’s been all too common in this 112th Congress – paid for by over $300 million dollars in corporate spending.

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