Cord Byrd: “I respect the Senator's viewpoint. I respect every Senator's viewpoint, here. I, too, seek a balancing of the interests.…”

“I respect the Senator's viewpoint. I respect every Senator's viewpoint, here. I, too, seek a balancing of the interests. And I think that is what we are doing in opposing this amendment. As I understand the amendment, it speaks of lawful--lawful strikes. I think the strikes we are talking about are those that are lawful strikes. I think we are just going in the opposite direction if we support this amendment. This amendment prevents any funds appropriated in fiscal year 1995 from being used to ``implement, administer, or enforce any Executive order, or other rule, regulation, or order, that limits, restricts, or otherwise affects the ability of any existing or potential Federal contractor, subcontractor, or vendor to hire permanent replacements for lawfully striking workers.'' Obviously, if it is unlawful that puts a different color on it, a different face on it. Mr. President, the ultimate tool and the legal right of an American worker under collective bargaining, the right to strike, should not become the right to be fired. It should not become the right to be fired. President Clinton signed an Executive order that allows the Secretary of Labor to terminate for convenience any Federal contract with a firm that permanently replaces lawfully striking workers.”