NEWS DIGESTS
Senators with union ties agree to drop card check
WASHINGTON — Six U.S. senators with links to labor have agreed to ax
the controversial card-check provision from the Employee Free Choice
Act, according to a story in The New York Times. Senators, including
Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who had introduced the latest
version of the bill, have agreed to drop the provision
to ensure a filibuster-proof 60 votes, the Times said.
In its place, the measure would allow union elections to take place sooner and give employers less
time to campaign against unionization.
PRNEWSFO TO/AARP, DAVID LEE
Sen. Tom Harkin
Scott Vinson, vice president of the National Council of Chain Restaurants, said news of card check’s
possible removal has been circulating for months
and that the concession by the senators is not necessarily something to celebrate.
“It was well-known that Sen. Harkin for some time had been talking
with other senators and union leaders about repackaging the card-check bill in a way that could get 60 votes,” he said. “But simply jettisoning the card-check provision in favor of ‘quickie elections’ that short-circuit the deliberative process, while keeping the binding arbitration
language, which many Democratic senators still oppose, doesn’t get
them to 60 votes.”
Vinson added that lawmakers currently are focusing their attention
on health care reform, which will likely keep them from further tackling
the Employee Free Choice Act at this time.
David French, vice president of government relations for the International Franchise Association, called the senators’ decision to drop the
card-check provision “a positive step,” but added: “The bill still includes
many other equally bad ideas like mandatory binding arbitration that
will prove to be just as bad for employees and small businesses as card
check. We urge Congress to continue listening to the concerns of the
small-business community and just say no to passage of the Employee
Free Choice Act.”
“The Times story confirms what we’ve known for some time,” said
Brendan Flanagan, the National Restaurant Association’s director of
government relations. “Labor’s allies in the Senate still don’t have the
necessary votes, and simply dropping the card-check provision will not
alleviate the concerns of senators in both parties. A bill that weakens
federal protections in union elections and mandates binding arbitration
would be harmful to the industry, and the NRA will continue educating
lawmakers about this very flawed legislation.”
The foodservice industry and other business groups had actively opposed the measure, which would give workers the ability to form a union
through either card check or an election by secret ballot. Foes of the provision claim the proposal would subject employees to coercion by union
organizers and make it difficult for business owners to respond to an organizing campaign.
Indies increase share of casual-segment traffic
traffic distribution, year-to-year comparisons
MAJOR
CHAINS
31% 33% 35% 36% 36% 37% 36%
AVERAGE
GUEST
CHECK:
$15.43
$15.78 19% 18% 18% 17% 17% 17% 15%
SMALL
CHAINS
INDEPENDENTS
50%
$11.20 49% 47% 47% 47% 46% 49%
SOURCE: THE NPD GROUP/CREST
JAN
FEB
MAR ’03
JAN
FEB
MAR ’04
JAN
FEB
MAR ’05
JAN
FEB
MAR ’06
JAN
FEB
MAR ’07
JAN
FEB
MAR ’08
JAN
FEB
MAR ’09
CONTENTS 7. 27.09
■
4 Starbucks returns to its neighborhood roots with new 15th
Avenue prototype
Operators aim to scuttle Tenn. concealed-gun law
Chains, franchisees square off over discounted menu items
6 Santa Fe Cattle parent company files for Ch. 11
■
9 FINANCE
Yum expects softer U.S. sales for the second half of fiscal ’09
12 MARKETING
Ambitious marketing ignites sales at grand opening for
independent wood-fired pizzeria
14 DISTRIBUTOR NEWS
Visits to the Hill allow small-business owners to distribute
crucial information to legislators
16 HUMAN RESOURCES
People Report index shows signs of job growth
20 EQUIPMENT/OPERATIONS
Pizza Fusion franchisee takes green to another level in Illinois
25 EDITORIAL
Sex does sell, but some operators may be advised to lower
their hemlines and raise their standards
28 OPINION
Investing in workers’ happiness is smart, even in a recession
30 CULINARY CURRENTS
Beyond the sophomoric shot: The 10 steps of tequila
enlightenment
102 END QUOTES
Having Words With: Carl Howard, Fazoli’s
■
37 SPECIAL REPORT: THE SECOND 100
Economic forces batter Second 100 companies
71 SPECIAL REPORT: FINE DINING
The 2009 Fine Dining Hall of Fame inductees
■
26 Calendar of Events
94 Foodservice Mart
92 Product Showcase
100 Advertiser Index
4
Chains, franchisees face off
9
Pizza Hut’s $5 menu
71
Alice Waters
■
2002, 2004,
2006 &
2008
Jesse H.
Neal
Award
winner
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