Go head on over to MeetTheBloggers.org. This week, I joined Cenk to discuss the Employee Free Choice Act with SEIU's Anna Burger.

It just began at 10am Pacific.

Update [2008-11-14 13:41:5 by Todd Beeton]:More context. The Employee Free Choice Act's importance can not be underestimated. It would revise the National Labor Relations Act to allow employees to join a union if a majority sign cards indicating their desire to do so. As it is now, an employer can challenge the card check and impose an additional secret ballot election; under the EFCA, an employer would be allowed to challenge card check only when illegal coercion is charged.

The Republican Party and their allies in business and the media have been organizing against EFCA, framing it as "the end of the secret ballot" and "Obama's gays in the military," ie, a liberal interest group-driven policy that will threaten Obama's first term agenda if he pursues it. Scary, right? The reality is that this legislation has widespread support throughout the country and even in Congress. In 2007, EFCA passed the House (it had 233 co-sponsors including 7 Republicans and passed 241-185) but ultimately got de-railed in the Senate where a cloture vote failed 51-48. But even there, every single Democrat (except Tim Johnson who was ill) plus both Independents plus Arlen Specter voted for cloture. With Johnson back in the Senate and six additional Democratic Senators, we currently would have 58 votes for cloture assuming everyone votes the same. That would rise to 60 if Alaska and Minnesota go our way.

So really, passing the Employee Free Choice Act is a simple matter of holding another vote once the next Congress convenes. SEIU is pursuing it as part of its first 100 days campaign to push President Obama and his new Democratic majorities not to shirk from the progressive mandate they received last Tuesday. Barack has promised on several occasions to sign it as president. The question remains whether he will push it off if Republicans succeed in framing it as divisive and partisan (God forbid!) Also, if it does come to a vote, will the more conservative Democrats vote for cloture or will they cave to business pressure? We all need to exert any pressure we can on our Senators and President-elect Obama to pursue this crucial legislation.

David Bonior's American Rights At Work has launched a new ad promoting the importance of the Employee Free Choice Act and asking people to call their members of congress to tell them to pass EFCA (more from Greg Sargent HERE.

Watch it: