-By Stephanie Condon, CBS EconWatch

As Democrats and Republicans stand increasingly at odds over measures to help improve the economy, one bill under consideration highlights how critical party loyalty could be in determining policy measures.

Mitt Romney, a likely contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, joined a forum of business advocates in Northern Virginia on Thursday to denounce a union-backed bill, the Employee Free Choice Act, as little more than political payback from Democrats that would worsen the nation’s economic footing.

The bill would be “catastrophic for the economy,” Romney said. “The impact long term is people start less businesses here. It’s not great for the people who start businesses today, but it’s even worse for the employees of tomorrow.”

The act would make it easier for workers to form a union. Most notably, it would allow workers to automatically form a union if more than a half of them sign a card indicating they want to join one. This method is currently an option for employees so long as their employers approve it; otherwise, workers can form a union through a secret ballot and election process.

Read the full report at: CBS EconWatch.

No related posts.