Union card issue gets attention

By Lisa Mascaro

Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008 | 11:49 a.m.

(The Sun has gone on the road to listen to voters and talk to political leaders around the West. Reporters have been examining the economic, cultural and demographic forces re-shaping the region as they drove to Denver for the first of the two major party conventions the Sun will cover. This week they are at the Democratic National Convention.)

DENVER -- Heard on the 6:40 a.m. drive to convention-world this morning: A radio ad highlighting Colorado Senate Republican candidate Bob Schaffer on the union card check issue.

My colleague Michael Mishak is the resident expert on this, having written extensively about the importance of card check for unions. Unions want to be able to organize by having employees sign a card rather than going through what they see as an often problematic secret ballot process. They need Congress to pass a law.

But stopping card check is a top priority of the business community, as well as the number one fundraising issue for Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign, who is leading his party’s efforts to elect Republicans to the Senate this fall.

The Colorado Senate race will be among the most watched in the nation as Schaffer and Democratic Rep. Mark Udall battle for the open seat being vacated by a retiring Republican. Polls show Schaffer had gained on Udall last month, but another recent poll showed Udall extending his lead.