The second session of the 106th Congress this year promises many of the same battles as in 1999 over taxes, health care, minimum wage, and trade, according to early indications from the Clinton administration and the Republican majority in the Senate and House.

GCIU Vice Pres. Lawrence Martinez, who chairs the General Board's Legislative Committee, said the sparse action in the first session "makes it clearer than ever the importance of electing a worker-friendly Congress and administration in the November elections."

"Working families need progressive and fair action on major budget, tax, health care and other social program issues," Martinez said. "They do not need more of the same with business first and workers and their families last."

On taxes, Clinton vetoed the 10-year, $792 billion tax cut bill that the GOP got through Congress in August. The AFL-CIO and other groups said the bill would have benefitted primarily corporations and the wealthy.

Republican leaders announced a new strategy in this election year, with three separate tax cut bills planned. Paying for large tax breaks could pose a threat to spending for a wide range of social programs, including safety and health, labor analysts warned.

According to reports, the Clinton administration plans tax credits for care-givers for disabled people and tax benefits for employers who offer medical insurance to their workers.

On health care, the House last year passed a labor-backed patients' rights bill that would have allowed patients to sue HMOs for denial of treatment and poor treatment. However, after the Senate passed a much weaker version of the bill, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) was blamed for appointing people to the conference committee who didn't support the stronger version of the bill and it failed.

For this session, Clinton announced a major plan to provide health care coverage for millions of uninsured Americans. Recent news reports indicate a breakthrough on the pharmaceutical industry's opposition to his plan to provide a Medicare prescription benefit.

Democrats are again expected to seek a $1.00 increase over two years in the $5.15 an hour minimum wage. The Senate approved a three-year staged increase last year, but it failed after the GOP majority attached billions of dollars of business tax cuts to the bill.

Another battle is expected this summer over the issue of granting most favored nation trading status to China. The AFL-CIO and its affiliates vowed to fight on this issue and also against expected plans to extend free trade rights to Caribbean countries and Africa without enforceable worker and environmental protections.

On job safety and health, labor legislative experts said they expect Republican leaders to try again to block the Clinton administration's recently proposed ergonomics rule to protect workers against injuries caused by repetitive motion and stress.