While healthcare reform, the economy, and the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor have dominated the news, labor unions, with a cadre of supporters in the U.S. Senate, have been quietly working on a compromise to steer labor's number one legislative agenda through the Senate.

In its current form, the Employee Free Choice Act (HR 1409, S-560) which has passed the House, and enjoys President Obama’s support, would require the National Labor Relations Board to certify a labor union as the employees' exclusive representative once a majority of employees sign cards in favor of the union.