"Card Check" Without The Card Check

Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio said today he expects the Senate to eventually pass the Employee Free Choice Act in a compromise version which will dump the provision eliminating secret ballot elections when a majority of employees have signed union authorization cards. Brown himself opposes elimination of the provision, but acknowledges it would be extremely difficult to get the required 60 votes, over intense business lobbying against the measure, unless the card check - no secret ballot clause is dropped from the bill.