On Friday, we published the first part of my email interviews with the two leading candidates for the Democratic nomination to the United States Senate from Illinois. Today, here's the rest.
[Ground rules: There were none, really. I didn't tell either candidate of a recommended length for their answers, and I have not edited their answers or otherwise added any links -- what you see, they provided. You'll see that I asked some of the same questions of each candidate, not that either knew which. The interviews were spread out for both candidates over a two-week period, given that they do lead busy lives right now, and I appreciate the time they've given us.]
Alexi Giannoulias, 33, is the State Treasurer of Illinois, a position to which he was elected in November 2006.
Q: Given that the state of EFCA is in flux, especially given the Massachusetts special election results (I'm writing this on Tuesday morning), what are the core reforms that you believe are needed to expand labor organizing rights?
Giannoulias: As Wall Street continues to make billions in profit while wages remain stagnant, its more important than ever that we elect Senators who aren't afraid to stand up for working families.
I strongly support the Employee Free Choice Act and I am frustrated that it has faded from the legislative agenda.
EFCA simply levels the playing field for American workers, and it gives them a chance to collectively bargain with management for the wages and benefits that they deserve.
Employers now have the ability to delay the process of forming a union, and they often use intimidation or harassment to dissuade workers from joining. EFCA would add meaningful penalties for employers who violate the law and make important reforms to the collective bargaining.
I would like to highlight one measure in the bill that I don’t think gets discussed enough: binding arbitration. Under current law, if a newly formed union does not come to a contractual agreement with an employer within the first year of the union’s existence, employees must hold a second election to keep the union. In that second election, a majority of employees must vote in favor of keeping the union in order for the employees to remain unionized. Binding arbitration would ensure that workers who wish to form a union are able to obtain a contract and that their first vote is honored.
Beyond EFCA, there are a number of things the Senate should act on immediately to protect labor rights. The National Labor Relations Board is an independent government body that investigates and remedies unfair labor practices. Since January 2008, it has operated with only two members. It is supposed to have five.
President Obama’s three nominees have yet to be confirmed, while the two remaining members of the board have gone on to make over 400 rulings. The Senate should act immediately to confirm President Obama’s nominees.
We need Democrats who are willing to speak up for American workers in the U.S. Senate. I am proud to have the support of over two-dozen unions in this election including the two largest in the state, the AFL-CIO and SEIU. They all recognize that I'm the only candidate in this race that’s created jobs, that’s saved jobs, and that has a detailed economic plan to get our economy back on track again.
On a final note, if elected, I will fight to increase the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2011 and peg further increases to inflation. And I’ll fight just as hard as Senator for the people of Illinois as I have as State Treasurer.
Q: Many in our community have been frustrated at what they see both as the slow pace of change in Washington and how the Senate seems to water down the best proposals along the way -- that it is the most conservative members of our party rather than its core who seem to control policy decisions. What would you do to change things as a freshman Senator, and are there structural problems with the Senate itself which need fixing?
Giannoulias: When President Obama was running for President, he said that Washington is to the place good ideas go to die. There’s no bigger killer of good ideas in the U.S Senate than the modern-day filibuster. I will be a vocal advocate for filibuster reform in the Senate.
What was a tool originally conceived to make it difficult to close debate until every member was given full opportunity to express their thoughts has turned into a weapon wielded in a way that inflicts legislative paralysis. The process clearly needs to be reformed.
The current system allows Senators to block progress with the mere threat of a filibuster. That’s undemocratic, and it’s unacceptable. Whatever the solution, it should include an end to the silent filibuster. I believe that if 40 Senators oppose a bill, the citizens of this nation deserve to witness that opposition in full form, just as votes for or against a bill are of public record.
There are several intriguing solutions, from complete abolishment of the filibuster to lowering the threshold to a graduated filibuster that requires fewer and fewer votes to break as days go on. The specific remedy is not as important as the need to fix the broken status quo; we should put all options on the table and come to agreement on a way to restore sanity to the world’s greatest deliberative body.
Finally, while a freshman Senator may not wield much power in the U.S. Senate, if the people of Illinois honor me with that post, I will be a fierce advocate for the principle that, on whatever the issue, we must begin with the strongest bill possible. I will also be guided by the core idea that, while we must compromise as bills go through the chamber, we must never compromise our principles.
Q: What do you consider to be a signature accomplishment you can point to that'll tell voters something about how you handle difficult situations?
Giannoulias: Often in politics, you’re expected to keep your head down, follow the treaded path, and not make waves. As anyone who’s ever ran for or held elected office can tell you, the pressure by establishment interests and others to simply not make waves is enormous.
But I think political courage is a necessity for any person honored to serve in public office.
As State Treasurer, I have a record of exhibiting that political courage, and no accomplishment best demonstrates my approach to public service than when Wells Fargo tried to shut down Hartmarx, a century-old suit manufacturer in Illinois. I wrote about Hartmarx last year on Daily Kos here.
Wells Fargo, one of a handful of Wall Street banks that accepted billions in bailout money, turned around and tried to shutter Hartmarx, an Illinois institution that was going through its own financial troubles because of the economy. Some of the workers at Hartmarx, like Marina, have worked there their entire lives.
For many politicians, it could have been just another statistic, another fatality of the recession. But I, along with a handful of other elected officials in Illinois, including Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and Congressman Phil Hare, refused to acquiesce to the pressure to do nothing.
I firmly believe that if you’re elected to public office, you should use all the tools at your disposal to help the working families that form the backbone of our economy and national character.
So, as State Treasurer, I stood up to Wells Fargo. I told them that if they decided to use the American taxpayer as an ATM, if they thought they could get a citizen bailout one day and shutter the doors of a landmark business the next, then the State of Illinois would pull its business from Wells Fargo.
I know to some it may seem like that’s an easy stance to take. Let me assure you that it’s not. It is not an easy thing to shift billions of state dollars away from an institution like Wells Fargo. There is an enormous amount of planning and there are financial consequences to doing something like this.
Because we stood up for Illinois workers, Wells Fargo stood down. Hartmarx was sold to a company that kept the business open, and today, they’re adding even more jobs to the payroll.
Here is a video highlighting our fight for Illinois families.
We need Senators who have a record of standing up for families against the pressure to stand with corporate special interests. It’s why I’m the first Senate candidate in Illinois history to refuse contributions from federal lobbyists and corporate PACs, and it’s why I’ll continue to speak up for working families if I’m privileged enough to serve in the United States Senate.
Q: Final question: other than your possible future colleague Dick Durbin, what Senators do you most admire and hope to work with in DC?
Giannoulias: First, while I can’t pick Dick Durbin, I have to say I cannot wait to work with him in the U.S. Senate. I especially admire his tireless efforts for real bankruptcy law reform that benefits working families, something I’ve posted about repeatedly here on Daily Kos.
If I’m elected, I look forward to working with Senator Chuck Schumer of New York. I admire Senator Schumer’s tenacious advocacy of progressive principles and his focus on how legislation impacts families outside of the beltway.
I am fortunate to know and have spoken with Senator John Kerry. I admire his recent efforts to hold the line on strong bills for health care reform and climate change. He has taken principled stands, something we need more of in the U.S. Senate. He has proven that, in the face of adversity, you can still make a tremendous difference and I would seek his counsel in the U.S. Senate.