In 1978, the U.S. Senate, after six votes, failed to invoke cloture to limit debate on the labor law reform measure that the House passed in the previous year by almost 100 votes.1 The majority of the Senate was prevented, by use of the filibuster, from working its will, and the needed revision of our national labor law failed. The failure of the reform bill had a profound effect on all labor relations, and especially on the conduct of the Steelworkers Union campaign to organize DuPont.

The elements that were contained in the Labor Law Reform Act are still important and necessary: (1) prompt elections, (2) increased accessibility and (3) expedited appeals procedures. Given the complexion of the present Congress and Administration, however, it would be extremely dangerous to have any labor law legislation come to the floor.

In late 1979, I became Director of Organization for the Steelworkers.  Our particular target at that time was the longstanding campaign among the workers of DuPont scattered throughout the country. I would like to draw some observations and conclusions from that campaign, posing as it did the challenge of union organizing in hard political and economic times.