Rep. Jim Evans, who is involved in a state and national capacity with the AFL-CIO, introduced a resolution that called HCR25. Under the rather innocuous auspices of celebrating a “Workers’ Memorial Day” on April 28, the bill had some language slipped in that seemed to try and create some Mississippi legislative blessing for the Employee Free Choice Act (or Employee No Choice Act, as I like to call it).
WHEREAS, on Workers Memorial Day 2009, the workers call for an end to attacks on workers’ safety and health, stronger safety and health protections and enforcement, coverage for all workers under the job safety law, fair and timely compensation for injured workers, the right of workers to organize and join unions without employer interference or intimidation and the right of workers and unions to speak out for strong job safety laws and to have a voice in the legislative and political process
Two young conservatives, Rep. Steven Palazzo and Rep. Brian Aldridge sniffed this out and made a move to gut the resolution.
Bystanders tallied the vote to accept the Aldridge/Palazzo amendement at 69 for to 52 against. A move to table the amendment after it was accepted lost by a vote of 47-72 meaning some conservatives and even a few defectors held with the conservatives.
We will definitely have HCR25 on our radar this session to see what legislators are pro-business and which ones are not.
Magnolia Tribune
