11.   The labor provision is especially controversial and opposed by most Democrats, particularly if not accompanied by a ban on soft money.

12.   The labor provision, called the Team Act, would allow employers to select employees with whom to discuss issues not covered by collective bargaining.

13.   The package has problems, however, because provisions providing tax credits for local school construction bonds do not include a labor provision Democrats had demanded.

14.   Three other appeals courts have said they are agricultural workers, and exempt from the labor law provisions.

15.   A political impasse over changing labor provisions is threatening the survival of Amtrak, the financially troubled U.S. passenger railroad.

16.   But Shuster withdrew the bill last week after his House Transportation Committee turned on him, with several Republicans joining opposition Democrats to vote against the labor provisions.

17.   The laws, the first extension of industrial labor provisions to the farm, took effect last year.

18.   The measure was delayed for months over labor provisions which have taken on added importance as the rail network is edged away from dependence on government funding.