Employee Free Choice Act of 2007 (and 2003)

Today the House passed the Employee Free Choice Act (HR 800) by a vote of 241-185. Thirteen Republicans crossed party lines to vote for this bill, which guarantees the ability to unionize if a majority of employees desire. Maybe not all that surprising is that Rep. Vito Fossella, was one of those Republicans voting for the bill, considering the amount of union members in the district. In fact Fossella co-sponsored this bill early on, go take a look. What you may not know, and what you won't read in Fossella's praise of himself, is that back in "2003, Fossella refused to cosponsor the SAME EXACT BILL, then known as the Employee Free Choice Act, H.R. 3619. This bill was only 12 cosponsors short of having majority support", via vetofossella.com.

This is what happens when Fossella starts feeling the heat of closer and closer elections. While it is good for the district, don't be fooled, this is just an act. Clearly when he was part of the majority and not in danger of losing his seat he didn't care of employee rights, now he suddenly does. If this sounds familiar it may be because he did the same thing with the Minimum Wage bill that passed back in January. While he voted for it in 2007, he opposed the same exact bill or iterations of a similar bill in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.