Labor demands passage of Civil Rights Act.

Labor Demands Passage of Civil Rights Act

Labor and civil rights groups are pushing ahead for quick passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1990 by the House of Representatives, despite opposition from business lobbyists and a threatened Bush veto. In a 65-34 vote, the Senate passed its version of the act. The House Judiciary Committee took it up.

"We are moving forward," said Jane O'Grady, AFL-CIO legislative department representative. "We are urging the House to take action before they leave on recess in August," she added. "This bill is going to pass the Congress."

Although the Bush administration said that it is opposed to the Civil Rights Act, O'Grady said, "We are not convinced" the president will veto the bill. She said Bush's description of the measure as a "quota bill" is "sloganeering" and indicates that he and the business community are posturing in an effort to get Congress to further weaken the measure.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers are furiously lobbying against language that puts the burden of proof back on employers to justify wide disparities between the racial composition of their workforce and the surrounding community. Employers had the burden of proof prior to last year's Wards Cove decision by the Supreme Court.

"This bill ...