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Governor Dayton’s Baleful Influence on Labor Relations

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a public policy organization dedicated to the principles of free markets and limited government, has created a voting scorecard for the 112th Congress focusing on worker issues. CEI’s labor policy website, Workplacechoice.org, will be the only real time congressional voting scorecard devoted to analyzing Congress’ labor record from a free-market perspective.

CEI developed the scorecard to educate taxpayers on how their Congressional Representatives and Senators vote on labor policy issues. A unique feature of the scorecard is that it is maintained in real time, rather than completed at the end of a congressional session.

The score is determined based on the CEI policy determinations that support worker freedom and the elimination of Big Labor’s privileges across the country.

CEI will announce which votes will be scored as far in advance as possible. Presently in the 112th Congress numerous pro-worker bills and amendments have been introduced. A list of this legislation can be viewed on the Workplacechoice.org Pro-Worker Legislation page.

Full House Scorecard

Full Senate Scorecard

Key:
Voted with CEI’s Position
X Voted against CEI’s Position
* Did not vote

Grade Scale

100%………………………….. A+ 95% – 99%………………….. A 90% – 94%………………….. A-

85% – 89%………………….. B+ 80% – 84%………………….. B 70% – 79%………………….. B-

65% – 69%………………….. C+ 60% – 64%………………….. C 50% – 59%………………….. C-

31% – 49%………………….. D+ 11% – 30%………………….. D 1% – 10%……………………. D-

0%……………………………… F

 

Votes in the current Congress score include:

United States House of Representatives

Removing Language to Restore Original Union Election Rule to the National Mediation Board
Roll Call: 217
Bill: H.R. 658
Rep. LaTourette of Ohio
Amendment No. 21
CEI position: NO

The vote was on an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2011 to remove language in the Act that repeals a change to the Railway Labor Act’s voting rules. The change was imposed by the National Mediation Board in July 2010, without any input from Congress.

Prohibit FAA Employees from Using Official Time for Union Activities
Roll Call: 212
Bill: H.R. 658
Rep. Gingrey of Georgia
Amendment No. 18
CEI Position: YES

The vote was on an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2011 to prohibit Federal Aviation Administration employees from using official—that is, taxpayer sponsored—time for union activities during the official workday. It would not repeal the right of any FAA employee to collectively bargain or arbitrate.

De-funding the National Labor Relations Board — Roll Call: 75
Bill: H.R. 1
Rep. Price of Georgia
Amendment No. 410
CEI Position: YES

The vote was an amendment to Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011, which would eliminate funding for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Under the Obama administration, the NLRB has been making repeated efforts to go around Congress by trying to enact policy changes that are biased toward organized labor’s goals—including card check-like organizing methods like remote electronic voting.

Prohibit Funding for Project Labor Agreements —
Roll Call: 126
Bill: H.R. 1
Rep. Guinta of New Hampshire
Amendment No. 166
CEI Position: YES

The vote was an amendment to Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011, which would prohibit the use of funds to enter into government contracts that require contractors to adopt project labor agreement, which favor impose “prevailing wage” and other requirements that advantage unionized contractors at the expense of non-union ones.

Roll Call: 396
Bill: H.R. 2017
Rep. Scalise of Louisiana
Amendment No. 388
CEI Position: YES

The vote was an amendment to Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2012, which would prohibit the use of funds to enter into, after the date of the enactment of this Act, a Government contract that requires a project labor agreement.

Roll Call: 413
Bill: H.R. 2055
Rep. LaTourette of Ohio
Amendment No. 411
CEI Position: NO

The vote was an amendment printed in the Congressional Record to strike section 415 of the bill, prohibiting funding for federal project labor agreements.

Prohibit use of Prevailing Wage —
Roll Call: 144
Bill: H.R. 1
Rep. King of Iowa
Amendment No. 273
CEI Position: YES

The vote was on an amendment to Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011, which eliminate the “Davis Bacon” prevailing wage rate requirement for federal projects funded by the 2011 appropriation act. Because this has typically been equivalent to the prevailing union wage, the law makes it harder for non-union contractors to compete for those projects.

Roll Call: 395
Bill: H.R. 2017
Rep. Gosar of Arizona
Amendment No. 386
CEI Position: YES

The vote was on an amendment to Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2012, which eliminate the “Davis Bacon” prevailing wage rate requirement for federal projects funded by the 2011 appropriation act. Because this has typically been equivalent to the prevailing union wage, the law makes it harder for non-union contractors to compete for those projects.

Roll Call: 585
Bill: H.R. 2354
Rep. Gosar of Arizona
Amendment No. 655
CEI Position: YES

The vote was on an amendment to prohibit the use of funds to be used to administer or enforce the requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act, except with respect to a contract that exceeds $20 million.

Prohibit Funding Toward TSA Regarding Collective Bargaining
Roll Call: 403
Bill: H.R. 2017
Rep. Rokita of Indiana
Amendment No. 2
CEI Position: YES

An amendment to prohibit the use of funds to implement the determination of the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration regarding transporation security officers and collective bargaining as described in the decision memorandum dated February 4, 2011.

Questions regarding the scorecard can be directed to CEI Labor Policy Counsel F. Vincent Vernuccio at or