WASHINGTON —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
Berman, the president of Berman & Co., a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs and lobbying firm, warned attendees of the 49th annual Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference here that organized labor has the restaurant industry in its political sights. —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
Commenting on the threat posed by a union-backed measure called the “Employee Free Choice Act,” also known as the union card-check bill, Berman said, “This is the most damaging piece of legislation that actually has a chance to pass.” —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
The bill, which many believe would help organized labor step up unionizing efforts by ending private-ballot elections, was passed by the House of Representatives in 2007 by a vote of 241 to 185. It failed to pass in the Senate, though, where it won only 51 of the 60 votes needed. —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
The measure would eliminate employees’ right to secret-ballot elections, and replace it with a card-check system in which they would sign a card in favor of union representation. It also would allow unions to call in the government to arbitrate cases where the employer and union cannot arrive at a compromise. —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
Berman told conferees attending the general session titled “Top of Mind Issues: New Challenges for the Industry” that he doubted any costly industry-related measures like immigration or health care reform would be addressed next year by a cash-strapped Congress. However, he said the card-check bill had a good chance of resurfacing because the government would be more inclined to study “off-budget” measures. —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
“Union card-check wouldn’t cost the government anything,” he said. —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
At the same time, organized labor has contributed to the campaigns of a number of 2008 candidates, including presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and the unions would be looking for payback, he said. —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
“Anyone who gets elected owes somebody,” Berman said. “Obama owes the unions.” —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
Berman also said an increase in the number of unionized workplaces would correspondingly increase the power organized labor wields in elections. —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
“Unions collect $7 billion in dues annually, and they only have 7 percent of the workforce,” he said. “If they could conservatively double that, they could easily get an additional $5 billion. If that goes into campaigning in the elections, they could highjack the political process. The situation would be without precedent.” —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
In addition to discussing the union card-check measure, Berman told attendees that the obesity issue was responsible for “the demonization of the restaurant industry.” —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
He cited those opponents who blame food for obesity when they also are ignoring the fact that lifestyles have changed and people no longer expend energy or burn off calories. —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
Nevertheless, he said, pointing to a recent ruling in Los Angeles, people are blaming the proliferation of fast-food restaurants and demanding that fewer fast-food outlets be allowed in certain neighborhoods as a result. —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
“There will be more of it if the foodservice industry doesn’t find its voice and fight back,” he said. —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
Economy, politics take center stage at confab —While the new presidential administration and Congress almost certainly will be preoccupied with addressing the global economic crisis next year, restaurateurs can expect to face a critical legislative challenge in the form of unionization, cautioned industry lobbyist Richard Berman.
