2016 Postmortem

ellisonz

(27,711 posts) Mon Mar 12, 2012, 02:17 PM Mar 2012

Labor unions rethinking their role in politics

The influential AFL-CIO almost certainly will endorse Obama for reelection, but many unions are increasingly financing their own efforts instead of writing large checks to the Democratic Party and its candidates.
By Matea Gold and Melanie Mason, Washington Bureau
March 10, 2012, 4:05 p.m.
Reporting from Washington—

As top union leaders gather in Florida on Tuesday to determine labor's political strategy this year, the influential AFL-CIO appears poised to endorse President Obama's reelection — despite some lingering dissatisfaction with his record.

But the way in which unions back him and other Democrats this year is likely to take a very different form than in past campaigns.

Concluding they need to be more independent of the Democratic Party, many unions are increasingly financing their own efforts instead of writing large checks to candidates and the party.

The shift in tactics is already apparent in this election season: Labor political action committees gave federal Democratic candidates and committees $21 million last year, a drop of 20% from the same period in the 2008 election, according to data provided by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Several major unions, as well as the AFL-CIO itself, now have their own "super PACs," independent political organizations that can raise unlimited funds.

More: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-labor-endorse-20120311,0,374934.story

14 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Labor unions rethinking their role in politics (Original Post) ellisonz Mar 2012 OP

GOOD. They should support POLICIES not parties. Vincardog Mar 2012 #1

The GOP's policies very seldom benefit union members. RTW, anyone? libinnyandia Mar 2012 #4

How have the corporate Democrats policies helped the Teachers? Vincardog Mar 2012 #5

The Democrats aren't perfect, but the Repubicans are totally hostile to workers. libinnyandia Mar 2012 #8

I think the point is The Philosopher Mar 2012 #9

Bingo Policies over party. You don't get my vote or my effort if you don't pursue Democratic Vincardog Mar 2012 #10

the NEA has not gotten this message yet as it endorses Eric Holder and race to the...top nt msongs Mar 2012 #2

Deals are being made. Fuck anyone who isn't already employed. nt patrice Mar 2012 #3

most if not all unions would back a republican if they were labor friendly madrchsod Mar 2012 #6

Ah yes, but given our macro-economic situation, the definition of "labor friendly" is VERY much patrice Mar 2012 #7

My dad used to say "the unions ain't perfect but they're all that we've got" TBF Mar 2012 #13

And why is this? Bake Mar 2012 #11

Good idea. If the candidate endorses policies that help you, sure--go ahead and endorse them. Arkana Mar 2012 #12

This is about Citizens United frazzled Mar 2012 #14

Vincardog

(20,234 posts)

1. GOOD. They should support POLICIES not parties.

Reply to ellisonz (Original post)

Mon Mar 12, 2012, 02:20 PM

Mar 2012

libinnyandia

(1,374 posts)

4. The GOP's policies very seldom benefit union members. RTW, anyone?

Reply to Vincardog (Reply #1)

Mon Mar 12, 2012, 02:37 PM

Mar 2012

Vincardog

(20,234 posts)

5. How have the corporate Democrats policies helped the Teachers?

Reply to libinnyandia (Reply #4)

Mon Mar 12, 2012, 02:46 PM

Mar 2012

libinnyandia

(1,374 posts)

8. The Democrats aren't perfect, but the Repubicans are totally hostile to workers.

Reply to Vincardog (Reply #5)

Mon Mar 12, 2012, 06:51 PM

Mar 2012

There are a lot of good Democrats .Can you name any good Republicans?

The Philosopher

(895 posts)

9. I think the point is

Reply to libinnyandia (Reply #8)

Mon Mar 12, 2012, 08:19 PM

Mar 2012

slow erosion versus immediate destruction. Democrats who promote policies that are against workers only a little bit, over a span of time, are just as bad as the ones who try to do it all at once. Which one is going to be more obvious? It's time to turn away from both and say there isn't a system that rewards you simply because you call yourself a Democrat. That will allow other Democrats to come out and find support who will actually support workers like they should be supported.

Vincardog

(20,234 posts)

10. Bingo Policies over party. You don't get my vote or my effort if you don't pursue Democratic

Reply to The Philosopher (Reply #9)

Tue Mar 13, 2012, 10:21 AM

Mar 2012

Policies. Support LABOR, education the environment, and oppose corporate rule.

msongs

(67,440 posts)

2. the NEA has not gotten this message yet as it endorses Eric Holder and race to the...top nt

Reply to ellisonz (Original post)

Mon Mar 12, 2012, 02:25 PM

Mar 2012

patrice

(47,992 posts)

3. Deals are being made. Fuck anyone who isn't already employed. nt

Reply to ellisonz (Original post)

Mon Mar 12, 2012, 02:27 PM

Mar 2012

madrchsod

(58,162 posts)

6. most if not all unions would back a republican if they were labor friendly

Reply to ellisonz (Original post)

Mon Mar 12, 2012, 02:47 PM

Mar 2012

last election cycle my wife`s union council endorsed a republican over a democrat. in fact it is in the constitution that they will endorse anyone regardless of party.

the problem is the republican party in this state is so far to the right there is no one that comes close to supporting labor.

patrice

(47,992 posts)

7. Ah yes, but given our macro-economic situation, the definition of "labor friendly" is VERY much

Reply to madrchsod (Reply #6)

Mon Mar 12, 2012, 03:32 PM

Mar 2012

up for grabs. And though I am OVER-ALL a strong Labor supporter, I am not blind to past union corruption, alienation from the workers themselves, and their ON-GOING NEED for profound internal reform.

TBF

(32,090 posts)

13. My dad used to say "the unions ain't perfect but they're all that we've got"

Reply to patrice (Reply #7)

Tue Mar 13, 2012, 12:51 PM

Mar 2012

and he was correct about that. The one thing millions of poor people can do to get the capitalist's attention is withhold their labor. We can see where we've gotten with 30 years of labor bashing (much of it coming in backhanded form) - bigger gap than ever between the rich and poor.

Bake

(21,977 posts)

11. And why is this?

Reply to ellisonz (Original post)

Tue Mar 13, 2012, 10:50 AM

Mar 2012

Could it be that the Democrats have thrown organized labor under the bus time and time again?

No. Surely not.

Taken the union vote for granted?

No. Surely not.

Bake

Arkana

(24,347 posts)

12. Good idea. If the candidate endorses policies that help you, sure--go ahead and endorse them.

Reply to ellisonz (Original post)

Tue Mar 13, 2012, 12:45 PM

Mar 2012

The idea that unions should be beholden to the Democratic Party, though, when there is a not-insignificant number of Democrats who actively speak against them, is wrong.

frazzled

(18,402 posts)

14. This is about Citizens United

Reply to ellisonz (Original post)

Tue Mar 13, 2012, 01:38 PM

Mar 2012

"Several major unions, as well as the AFL-CIO itself, now have their own "super PACs," independent political organizations that can raise unlimited funds."

So are we for that now that it's "our" side doing it? It's simply a way of putting more, not less, money into campaigns.

As a side bar, they may be raising and spending their money differently, but they're going bigger out than ever for Obama this year:

As the A.F.L.-C.I.O. prepares to endorse President Obama on Tuesday, labor leaders say they will mount their biggest campaign effort, with far more union members than ever before — at least 400,000, they say — knocking on voters’ doors to counter the well-endowed “super PACs” backing Republicans.

The same Supreme Court ruling in 2010 that set the stage for these political action committees to accept unlimited donations also allowed unions to send their foot soldiers to visit not just union members at home, but also voters who do not belong to unions — a move expected to increase labor’s political clout significantly in this year’s elections. ...

Labor leaders voice confidence that they can rally millions of blue-collar voters behind President Obama in battleground states like Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

“Look at what we’ve already seen this year — the super PACs have spent tens of millions of dollars,” Richard L. Trumka, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.’s president, said in an interview. “We’re going to counter that by getting people out. We’ll never be able to match them with money.”

The Service Employees International Union, with two million members, aims to mobilize 100,000 of its members this year — twice as many as in 2008 — to make phone calls and knock on doors.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/12/us/politics/unions-plan-a-door-to-door-effort-for-2012-election.html?ref=politics

Reply to this discussion