SENATE BILL: Co-determination Act of 2014 (Failed)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor: TNF

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The sponsor has 24 hours to advocate for this.

Any chance we can quick vote this one?

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

The only way this was getting signed into law was if I was defeated, and I am still here, so you fill in the blanks.

[TNF]

There's no way you could support giving labor even one representative on corporate boards, Mr. President? I assure you this isn't a step toward communism or any of that. Germany does the exact same thing and capitalism is alive and kicking on the river Rhine.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I can read up on Germany's law. But as you correctly pointed out in the election, this is an issue we really don't agree on.

Giving them one seat would completely marginalized their power. Giving them half would just be ridiculous. I've been labor friendly during my tenure and that's something I'm not ashamed of. The secret is, the board doesn't set wages. The board tackles questions like "who will we hire as CEO? Who will we merge with? Should we sell ourselves?"

I suppose they do set budgets, or approve of them, but that's about it in terms of day to day operations.

With that said, I'll examine what they do in Germany. I am a fair person, have no fear.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

The German system seems much more complicated than what we are discussing here, and their union membership is like 50% of the workforce, which is much higher than in the US (I don't know about Atlasia, because my GM nominee, Adam, is too preoccupied with this silly little Senate run). They also have tiers implemented. But from all I have read, the law is still really not effective because other board members can outvote them.

In my view, we have been giving unions more rights than they used to have, and they are in a strong position to bargain without being on corporate boards. We've given them rights to be present at the workplace during given times, banned intimidation of workers trying to unionize, etc. Unions have a place in our economy because workers have the constitutional right to organize and protect themselves because yes, abuse exists in the workplace, something I have lived through firsthand in my own family.

That said, handing unions one seat on the board will accomplish nothing, and I, for the life of me, really can't get behind giving them anymore than one seat because of my own personal beliefs that businesses are autonomous units whose shareholders decide what they can and cannot do.

I could accept that compromise to throw you a bone, TNF, because I like you and I like throwing bones, but it would be unfair as it would literally accomplish nothing that you want, and I know what you want, but I can't give it all to you. I like to play hard to get sometimes.

[TNF]

Perhaps we could look into a tiered system here, as well? Or at the very least, one seat plus perhaps a simplification of laws governing the formation of co-operative enterprises? I'm open to ideas here, people.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I would be interested in abandoning trying to transform the existing for-profit corporate structures and instead go for the jugular and make them compete with an alternative system. Then the changes would be immense and far greater then a singular, outvoted union representative on the board.

So I guess in short, I'll go in for no seat and a simplifcation of laws governing the formation of co-operative enterprises?

[Sec. of State Superique]

This would be the first steps towards a post-capitalism market-based society!

[TNF]

I'm working on an amendment, will probably have it introduced by this afternoon or tonight.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I look forward to it.

[TNF]

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[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

If this fails, I would be happy to assist in passing sEction 2 as standalone legislation.


Processing the amendment now.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I don't think such a tax carve out is necessary.

One the absence of profits alone should put them at an advantage as well as I think the marketting advantage they would have over for-profit companies as well. Therefore a smaller and less aggressive tax incentive would be just as effective.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor Feedback: Origination
Status: Senators have 24 hours to object.

[TNF]

I don't think such a tax carve out is necessary.

One the absence of profits alone should put them at an advantage as well as I think the marketting advantage they would have over for-profit companies as well. Therefore a smaller and less aggressive tax incentive would be just as effective.

I'm open to an amendment. This is just something I cobbled together to produce targeted growth of co-ops.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I'll give you kudos, TNF. This is much better than the original bill. I'll wait to see how the amendment process goes and read it a few times before I decide what else I'd like to add. Well done though, especially with section 2.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Does Section 2 mean that people who work at cooperatives don't pay any income taxes?  I'm supportive of co-ops, but is there a reason they should be treated better in the tax code than people who are self-employed?

[TNF]

Does Section 2 mean that people who work at cooperatives don't pay any income taxes?  I'm supportive of co-ops, but is there a reason they should be treated better in the tax code than people who are self-employed?

No, it refers to regular corporate income taxes. I can clarify that with an amendment. The reason I want to alter taxation of them is chiefly to promote their growth; doing that for a ten year period might make that a real possibility, giving them the time to build up sufficient capital reserves, etc.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The amendment has been adopted.

[TNF]

Offering an amendment to clarify a few things:

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[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor Feedback: Origination
Status: Senators have 24 hours to object.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

amendment

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Our authority to limit regional taxation in this area is questionable, and reserving a large number of federal contracts for co-ops simply isn't practical considering all the industries the federal government deals with where co-ops are not prominent.

[TNF]

Amendment is friendly.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Status: The VP may call 24 hours for objections.