Word: labored
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...flurry of proposals dramatizes the renewed clout of organized labor in the corridors of Congress. Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat, is more receptive when labor buzzes in his ear than was his predecessor, Republican Robert Dole of Kansas. Massachusetts Democrat Edward Kennedy, an avid defender of workers, has replaced the decidedly less sympathetic Utah Republican Orrin Hatch as chairman of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. Democrats who are friendly to or received campaign money from the labor movement are in positions to help along the bulk of the business-related legislation. Boasts...
...most hotly debated proposals is a Senate bill introduced by Ohio Democrat Howard Metzenbaum. It would force companies to notify unions up to six months in advance of plant closings and substantial layoffs. A version that passed the House Labor Committee last week goes even further, requiring employers to consult with unions before making such decisions. "With advance notice, workers can begin to look for new jobs," says AFL-CIO Secretary- Treasurer Thomas Donahue. But critics charge that the bills would sharply limit management's flexibility. In an editorial, the Detroit News called the legislation "Metzen-bomb." Executives at Pittsburgh...
...double-breasting," in which companies operate two subsidiaries, one unionized and the other nonunion. Critics charge that this practice is merely a way for firms to circumvent collective-bargaining agreements. If the proposed bill passes, these companies would have to choose to be either exclusively union or nonunion. Labor leaders believe the law would produce more unionized shops, but some companies indicate they might try to shut out their unions. Such is the case at Phelps Inc., a 2,000-employee construction firm based in Greeley, Colo., that engages in double-breasting. Insists Co-Owner Robert Ruyle: "The unions...
Another pro-labor bill would require the Government to notify employees when they have been exposed to hazardous substances in the workplace. Even though the legislation has won the endorsement of the Chemical Manufacturers Association and major employers like IBM, most business leaders oppose it. Their fear: the law would lead to a blizzard of lawsuits...
Among all the pro-labor bills, the measures that stand the best chance of passing Congress this year are the ones involving plant closings, minimum wages and high-risk notification. This week the House is expected to vote on, and is likely to approve, the double-breasting legislation. The issues of mandated health care and parental leave will probably languish until next year. Labor does not expect to win every battle and realizes that some laws may have to be passed by overriding a presidential veto. But the pro-worker lobby is pushing to get as much...