It's On.

   Get ready for fireworks on Capitol Hill. The great EFCA debate is here.

   From the Wall Street Journal:

Three big retailers are expected to back an alternative proposal next week on a hotly contested bill that would make it easier to unionize workplaces, a move some experts said would bolster the legislation's chance of passage.

Costco Wholesale Corp., Starbucks Corp. and Whole Foods Market Inc. are supporting the alternative proposal, according to someone familiar with the effort. Ray Krupin, a management labor lawyer in Washington said the most likely compromise would allow employees to unionize if 70% of them sign union-authorization cards, as opposed to 50% as currently proposed in the Employee Free Choice Act.

On Saturday, a person close to the discussions denied that the proposal backed by the three companies included a plan to let unions organize workers if 70% sign cards. 

It's unclear whether the proposal addresses a thorny section of the bill that would have a government arbitrator draw up a contract if unions and companies can't agree to terms within 120 days. 

"We have had conversations with like-minded companies and are open to exploring alternative solutions to the legislation as it is currently written," said Deb Trevino, a spokeswoman for Starbucks. 

Libba Letton, a spokeswoman for Whole Foods, said, "We've been having conversations with other companies that have the same outlook that we do. We've been talking to them about finding fair alternatives." 

A Costco representative couldn't immediately be reached for comment. 

The bill is organized labor's top legislative priority and has the support of the White House and Democrats in Congress. But it is strongly opposed by most major corporations and industry trade groups.

The anticipated proposal was condemned by some business groups. "These huge companies are selling out hundreds of thousands of small ones under the guise of making some phony and misguided compromise with Big Labor," said Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Committee, which has been campaigning against the bill. "We believe we have this draconian bill defeated outright, so these actions may well lead to the bill's passage."

Stewart Acuff, special assistant to the president of the AFL-CIO, said the labor federation hasn't been involved with any companies in crafting a compromise on the bill. "What we have heard consistently from the business community is that there is no compromise," he said. "We expect to pass it the way it's written now." 

The bill has the Chamber of Commerce completely freaked out, as noted in the Washington Post:

"The only thing that stands between this Draconian, game-changing legislation and your workplace is the filibuster," said Steven Law, the chamber's general counsel. "It is critically important to be very clear: There is no compromise."

(Chamber president Thomas) Donahue drove this point home: "On this deal... there's no compromise. There's no credit for amending the bill, the only credit anyone gets is for voting against cloture. Am I clear?"

Click here to support EFCA. Read a good argument for why we need it here.