WASHINGTON — Underscoring the bitter debate over a proposal to make it easier for workers to form unions, Republican senators are suggesting that President Obama's pick for Labor secretary must recuse herself from lobbying for the bill's passage.
A Senate committee will vote today whether to confirm Rep. Hilda L. Solis, a Democrat from El Monte.
In a written exchange with Solis, Republican senators indicated they are wary of her ties to a tax-exempt group dedicated to helping workers unionize.
Solis is treasurer of the organization, American Rights at Work. Federal records show that the group lobbied Congress last year to pass the measure, known informally as "card check."
Under the bill, employees would be able to form bargaining units by filling out a card, rather than voting in an election by secret ballot. Business and labor are on opposite sides of the issue, and both are preparing aggressive campaigns as the bill, also known as the Employee Free Choice Act, comes before Congress.
American Rights at Work, for its part, participated in a rally on Capitol Hill on Wednesday in support of the measure, dropping off petitions at Senate offices.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a leading business lobby, outlined its opposition strategy, saying the bill would "effectively eliminate the secret-ballot protection for workers" when deciding whether to join a union.
Solis' Cabinet nomination is in the crossfire. She was a co-sponsor of the bill in 2007 and has served for the last four years on the board of American Rights at Work. Solis receives no salary as a board member or treasurer.
Republican senators zeroed in on the organization in a series of written questions and answers obtained by the Tribune Washington Bureau.
In her initial public hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions last month, Solis faced criticism for sidestepping questions about the union-organizing issue. She was more forthcoming in subsequent written replies, saying she intended to work for passage if confirmed as Labor secretary.
In the written exchange, Republican senators asked if that would run afoul of Obama's new ethics policy. Obama has announced that appointees who lobbied on an issue must steer clear of it for their first two years of government service. The president has made some exceptions, however.
