Arlen Specter, Blanche Lincoln, and maybe others

In Republican circles, “Arlen Specter” has been more of an epithet than the correct identification of a Senator from Pennsylvania. Considered one of the most moderate members of the Senate GOP, Specter has long rankled his party by voting with the other team on countless issues.

But last week, he withdrew his support of the Employee Free Choice Act, apparently at the urging of ARM industry giant NCO Group, headquartered in his home state (“Outreach Efforts Help Score Win for ACA and its Members in Card Check Battle”). And just this week, a moderate Senate Democrat – Blanche Lincoln from Arkansas – also said that she would not support the EFCA, the legislation that includes a “card check” provision for union organization.

This is an extremely important development for the ARM industry. Supporters of the EFCA don’t just need 51 votes to pass the controversial measure; they need a filibuster-proof 60 votes because Republicans will filibuster this particular bill with their dying breaths. Specter was supposed to be a cross-over Republican “Yes” vote. Coupled with a Democrat defector in Lincoln, the Washington Post is already writing the obit for the card check measure.

Mike Barrist, CEO of NCO, spoke with insideARM last week about the legislation and its potential impact on the industry. Needless to say, if union organizers were able to gain the ability to force collective bargaining with a simple majority of public card signatures, it would be bad news for the industry.

Check back with insideARM in the next week as we will be covering this topic extensively.