GOP thumps Big Labor
March 12, 2001
BY ROBERT NOVAK SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
Last Wednesday night at an expensive Pennsylvania Avenue restaurant that Republicans favor, business lobbyists and congressional staffers calling themselves the Ergonomics Lobby hoisted their glasses in noisy celebration. They had just completed a two-day whipping of organized labor with far-reaching political significance.
Big Labor and its Democratic allies were caught by surprise. They were unable to prevent a suddenly monolithic Republican majority from overriding workplace rules imposed by Bill Clinton in his final hours as president. Relief from federal regulation will save American industry hundreds of billions of dollars. But the broader meaning is that it smashed AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.
Sweeney has become the toast of the Democratic Party for turning the sleepy labor movement into a mean, lean fighting machine dedicated to Republican defeat. But the transformation has been achieved at a high cost. By abandoning labor's traditional support for friendly Republicans, Sweeney exposed himself to humiliations such as he suffered last week.
Debate has been waged for years over whether government shall dictate how companies can prevent ergonomic injuries suffered by workers because of repetitive motions. Clinton tried to settle the issue by delivering an edict on his way out of office.
Senate Assistant Majority Leader Don Nickles quietly laid plans to repeal the Clinton regulations by using the 1996 Congressional Review Act, enabling rapid nullification of presidential edicts. President Bush approved. Last week, to labor's unpleasant surprise, the Republicans struck.
Democratic old bulls wailed in anger. Rep. George Miller of California, who never strays from the labor line, condemned "an unapologetic assault on some of the hardest working men and women in this country." Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin cried "disgrace." Rep. Henry Waxman of California shouted "outrage." Rep. Corinne Brown of Florida added the distinctive Black Caucus touch by assailing "this first attack from the Bush administration on the working people after the coup d'etat that took place in Florida."
But Democratic histrionics did not turn around their Republican colleagues. It was remarkable that only 14 House Republicans backed labor on the ergonomics vote, but it is absolutely inconceivable that all 50 GOP senators voted yes.
With the Republicans enjoying a Senate majority in name only thanks to frequent defections by moderates, their unusual solidarity this time reflects their abhorrence of Clinton's abuse of presidential power. But Sweeney also overplayed his hand in declaring war on all Republicans.
After the Senate vote, Sweeney could not contain himself, saying that "dishonest and disgraceful are not strong enough words" to describe what the Republicans did. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao called his rhetoric "very harsh" and "unnecessary."
"This is a different administration," Chao said. "So, I think organized labor, in expecting that their agenda is going to be carried out by this administration, I think is very unrealistic." Politely, she was telling Sweeney to come to grips with having lost the election.
The attitude toward Sweeney from elsewhere in the administration is harsher. If the AFL-CIO is going to wage all-out war in politics, it had better be prepared for the agony of losing. For all its success in getting out the vote last November, organized labor is viewed by Bush administration members as a spent force.
Bush's call for civility does not preclude defying Big Labor. Embarrassing investigations of unions by the Justice and Labor departments could be launched. The ergonomics surprise may well be the beginning of unpleasant times for John Sweeney.
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