The Wall St. Journal is reporting this morning that the Employee Free Choice Act bill is not likely to be among the pieces of legislation to be considered in the new administration’s first 100 days:

Unions likely won’t see action soon on legislation that would make it easier to organize workers, but Democrats are moving to back a pair of less-controversial bills that would facilitate filing discrimination suits against employers.

Labor had hoped the Obama administration would take up the Employee Free Choice Act within its first 100 days. The bill would let unions register members by collecting signatures on cards rather than through elections. But enactment now appears doubtful.

The bill is opposed by business. Mark McKinnon, a spokesman for the Workforce Fairness Institute, a business-backed group that opposes the measure, said support for it is weakening and the business lobby expects to have enough votes to block it with a filibuster, as it did in 2007.

In light of the expected opposition to EFCA, as I reported yesterday, it appears unions and other groups are advocating for the "low-hanging fruit", and seeking passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act and Lilly Ledbetter bill quickly.  The new bill (which combines both aspects of the two prior bills into one) is expected to be considered by the House as early as Thursday.

I’ve discussed the pros and cons of the EFCA in various posts before. Regardless of the immediate prospects for passage of the EFCA, now is certainly the time for employers to educate themselves about it.  The issue is most assuredly not going away.