Cohen: ‘This is Exactly the Time’ For Employee Free Choice

Speaking to more than 3,000 progressive activists at the Campaign for America's Future conference, CWA President Larry Cohen reminded participants just how tough the Senate vote on the Employee Free Choice Act will be.

The Chamber of Commerce has spent $200 million against the Employee Free Choice Act and is lobbying hard to block the vote for cloture, Cohen said.  "We need to demand that senators choose 'which side they're on,' when it comes to Employee Free Choice."

"We won't accept excuses that 'this isn't the time because of the economy.' You cannot fix the economy without Employee Free Choice. This is exactly the time," he said.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who is taking the lead in getting Senate approval of the Employee Free Choice Act, called the measure "the civil rights battle of today." And if senators refuse to work together for a bill that preserves the top priorities of Employee Free Choice, "I will take the original Employee Free Choice Act bill to the floor and demand an up or down vote on it," he pledged.

Joining the session was David Bonior, chair of American Rights at Work, and Wade Henderson of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.