WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate yesterday rejected H.R. 800, known as the “Employee Free Choice Act,” which would have eliminated the need for secret ballots in voting on unionization of employees at a business. The “card-check” measure, which would have allowed unions to organize based on a majority of workers signing authorization cards, failed to get enough votes to move ahead for further consideration, after previously passing in the House of Representatives. Retailers, including Food Marketing Institute and National Retail Federation, opposed the measure. The legislation had also included other changes to union rules that retailers opposed, such as compulsory arbitration of first contracts. “The rejection of this legislation saves workers from potential oppression and bullying,” said Steve Pfister, NRF’s senior vice president for government relations.
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