Bush May Limit Contractor Unionization

The Wall Street Journal reports today that the Bush administration is considering issuing an executive order that would make it more difficult for labor unions to organize workers at federal contractors.

"The executive order would require large government contractors to use secret-ballot elections for union organizing or risk losing government contracts," the paper reported. Unions favor "card-check" systems, under which employees can form a union if a majority of a company's workers sign cards indicating they favor unionization.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has expressed support for a federal law that would give unions the option of using card checks whenever they choose.

It's not a done deal that Bush will even sign the order, the Journal reported. Doing so would risk provoking the Democratic Congress to pass legislation to undo the action.