The business community is stepping up opposition to the Clinton Administration's proposed regulation that would bar federal contracts from companies deemed to have "unsatisfactory" labor practices. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has formed a new coalition, the National Alliance Against Blacklisting, to battle the proposal, which was pledged by Vice President Gore in a speech to the AFL-CIO last year.
Meanwhile, in testimony to the House Education & Workforce Subcommittee, the Chamber's executive vice president, Bruce Josten, called blacklisting "an unconscionable practice" and accused the Administration of using "its enormous power to favor organized labor, even at the expense of nonunion workers." National Assn. of Manufacturers Senior Vice President of policy and communications Paul Huard told the panel that the proposal "really is about giving unions an unfair advantage -- more like a trump card -- in organizing and negotiating with employers who do business with the federal government."
