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Earth_First

(14,910 posts) Tue Sep 4, 2012, 05:39 PM Sep 2012

Some labor discontent in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The stage for the Democratic National Convention is an elaborate display of lights, carpeting and video screens. It’s worthy of a Las Vegas show. In fact, unionized workers from Vegas were “imported” to build the stage, according to delegate Dick Collins, who hails from Sin City.

“Most of the trade unions are boycotting this, because it’s held in a non-union town,” Collins proudly said. It’s also the least unionized state in the U.S. -- less than 3%, especially since state law forbids government workers from organizing.

North Carolina’s right-to-work status has been a sore spot with unions. The building trades held their own political rally recently in Philadelphia. Local leaders quietly talked about not being motivated for the president and those down-ticket.

So into the discontent, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka stepped Tuesday morning, meeting with several hundred labor leaders who are also delegates. He got a raucous welcome. The organization chose a hotel close to the Time-Warner Cable Arena. It didn’t matter, since no hotels are unionized in Charlotte.

http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/04/13663297-some-labor-discontent-in-charlotte?lite

5 replies

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Highlight:

Some labor discontent in Charlotte (Original Post) Earth_First Sep 2012 OP

So infuriating. Brickbat Sep 2012 #1

The Reality is. Our city Charlotte Thrill Sep 2012 #2

As I keep saying, we're tired of being pissed on. MrSlayer Sep 2012 #3

just do like i do and think scotus scotus scotus scotus scotus scotus scotus leftyohiolib Sep 2012 #4

Back to this right-wing meme are we? Unions BENEFIT from the DNC. Robb Sep 2012 #5

Brickbat

(19,339 posts)

1. So infuriating.

Reply to Earth_First (Original post)

Tue Sep 4, 2012, 05:40 PM

Sep 2012

Thrill

(19,178 posts)

2. The Reality is. Our city Charlotte

Reply to Earth_First (Original post)

Tue Sep 4, 2012, 05:43 PM

Sep 2012

is more of a banking/Financial city. There just isn't much of a union presence anymore.

MrSlayer

(22,143 posts)

3. As I keep saying, we're tired of being pissed on.

Reply to Earth_First (Original post)

Tue Sep 4, 2012, 05:44 PM

Sep 2012

The Democrats merely pay lip service to labor while they vote for job killing trade agreements and suck the corporate tit. They'll still get our votes for now because the other guys are even worse. But that's only going to happen for so long. We need a party that cares about labor because we don't have one anymore.

leftyohiolib

(5,917 posts)

4. just do like i do and think scotus scotus scotus scotus scotus scotus scotus

Reply to MrSlayer (Reply #3)

Tue Sep 4, 2012, 06:14 PM

Sep 2012

all other priorities should be secondary - we should be fed up with 5-4 in-favor-of-corporate-america decsions. if romney gets elected and he gets to pick 3 supremes then we're done.

Robb

(39,665 posts)

5. Back to this right-wing meme are we? Unions BENEFIT from the DNC.

Reply to Earth_First (Original post)

Tue Sep 4, 2012, 06:24 PM

Sep 2012

History proves it out: stronger unions post-convention. Ask the Boston Police Union about 2004, or ask Unite Here about Denver in 2008.

Labor knows this. Organizers know this. It's a fantastic tool we get to use every four years.

I'll just say what I said last February when Hoffa went off on Charlotte: good.

4. This is exactly how it played in 2008 in Denver, too. It's a good thing.

Edited on Fri Feb-04-11 12:58 PM by Robb

Hoffa Jr. was raising hell as early as March about how union-hostile Colorado was. The result was a higher profile for labor leaders, more labor issues in the news, and frankly a better environment for unions post-convention here.

It ain't all balloons and speeches.

On edit: here's an old Denver Post article from April 2007:

Labor issue could 'blow up'

Teamsters union leader James Hoffa Jr. joined the debate over Denver's selection as host for the Democratic National Convention by confronting Gov. Bill Ritter at a Washington dinner and promising the issue could "blow up" next summer if Colorado doesn't become more labor-friendly.

"We're very upset about it," the International Brotherhood of Teamsters president said of the Democrats' decision to stage their convention at the nonunion Pepsi Center. In an interview Monday, Hoffa also mentioned Ritter's veto of a pro-union law. "All of labor is upset," Hoffa said.

Hoffa said it is "ironic" that the Republicans are planning their convention in heavily unionized Minneapolis-St. Paul. "Maybe we should flip it and let the Republicans come to Denver," he said.

(snip)

It is not unusual for labor to use the leverage a national Democratic convention brings, observers say. At the 2004 convention, national Democrats helped mediate a labor dispute between police and the city of Boston that stopped a picket line and gained the police a new contract and big raise.

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