Columbus partner Mike Asensio, who practices exclusively in the area of Management Labor and Employment Law, was quoted in a March 30, 2009, Modern Healthcare article, "Labor Takes a Hit."
According to the article, Democrats and union officials are considering whether to accept compromises to their marquee labor issue for 2009, the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), after word that the only Republican who supported even debating the issue last year has come out against it. Sen. Arlen Specter, (R-Pa.), announced from the Senate floor March 24 that he could not support a law that he said would eliminate the processing of voting by secret ballot to form unions.
According to the article, observers disagree on the likelihood of a compromise being reached. Employer groups and union officials flatly rejected the idea, but labor experts said Democrats had better get pragmatic—and soon—if they want to see EFCA become law in some form. "Labor and the Democrats have to be careful how they proceed. They don't want to get embroiled in a long fight here. If they want to get something passed, I think they're going to have to compromise their position," said Asensio.