2012 challenger or for 2016...how 'bout Andy Stern?

midnight armadillo

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Fri Dec-10-10 12:57 AM
Original message

2012 challenger or for 2016...how 'bout Andy Stern?

A 2012 challenger (anyone at all) is extraordinarily improbable at best, so maybe we should look beyond that for a post-jellyfish Democratic candidate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Stern
Andrew L. "Andy" Stern (born November 22, 1950), is the former president of the 2.2 million-member Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the fastest-growing union in the Americas. SEIU is the second largest union in the United States and Canada after the National Education Association.Stern was elected in 1996 to succeed John Sweeney. Stern is intent upon influencing federal legislation that helps revitalize the labor movement through universal health care, expanding union ranks via the Employee Free Choice Act, stronger regulations on business, profit sharing for employees, higher taxes, and efforts consistent with the improvement of the lives of workers .
For his talent at recruiting new members, Stern has been described as the "most important labor boss in America". Stern is unapologetic about targeting private equity firms, shaming business leaders, and competing to build SEIU's membership: �We like to say: We use the power of persuasion first. If it doesn't work, we try the persuasion of power�. The share of workers belonging to a union in 2008 showed the largest annual growth rate since the first report in 1983. Growth in SEIU in 2008�88,926 members--accounted for nearly 21 percent of the national union membership growth.

Stern also currently holds an appointment as the Alice B. Grant Labor Leader in Residence at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

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elleng

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Fri Dec-10-10 01:00 AM
Response to Original message

1. I've liked him, but too much controversy with union stuff, imo.

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Davis_X_Machina

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Fri Dec-10-10 01:05 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. Empire-building hothead....

Edited on Fri Dec-10-10 01:10 AM by Davis_X_Machina

...split the AFL-CIO, and has treated nurses' unions like dirt.

He's a powerful force for organized-by-Andy-Stern labor, and for building the SEIU by cannibalizing other unions.

For everybody else, not so much.

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midnight armadillo

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Fri Dec-10-10 01:12 AM
Response to Reply #2

3. As opposed to our Milquetoast-in-chief?

Empire building hothead doesn't sound so bad right now.

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Ikonoklast

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Fri Dec-10-10 10:57 AM
Response to Reply #3

12. Stern is an accomodator more interested in gathering power, than his membership's well-being.

Not a fan.

UFCW member, 24 years, me.

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midnight armadillo

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Fri Dec-10-10 08:20 PM
Response to Reply #12

13. I know very little

about Stern, aside from little biographies like on Wikipedia and news accounts over the years. I'm getting the sense they are a bit incomplete ;)

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Bette Noir

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Fri Dec-10-10 01:13 AM
Response to Reply #2

4. Yeah, my best friend is president of a small, local union.

She's constantly fighting off attempts from SEIU to take over her union. Management is all for the takeover, as SEIU is much more pro-management than her home-grown union.

SEIU is the WalMart of organized labor.

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Davis_X_Machina

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Fri Dec-10-10 08:07 AM
Response to Reply #4

6. Well, as you can see from the post prior to yours...

...you're just wrong, is all.

Welcome to DU -- Dissent Unwelcome.

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frugal99

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Fri Dec-10-10 06:20 AM
Response to Original message

5. KR

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DemocratSinceBirth

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Fri Dec-10-10 08:20 AM
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7. I Prefer Dennis Kucinich

He has the most experience.

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midnight armadillo

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Fri Dec-10-10 08:25 AM
Response to Reply #7

8. I love DK too

unfortunately in two presidential campaigns he's failed to really ignite the interest of the party in the primaries. Which is a shame - he's a fighter too. I was musing about Stern basically because he is not yet-another-DLC Democrat, and because a presidential campaign by a labor organizer would be first in American history - heck, several prominent members of the GOP would probably spontaneously combust in rage.

Maybe Wesley Clark would step up for another bite at the apple? Who knows...the 2016 campaign against President Palin will make for interesting times.

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Freddie Stubbs

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Fri Dec-10-10 09:17 AM
Response to Reply #8

10. You are incorrect about there never being a labor organizer running for President

Reagan had been President of the Screen Actors Guild.

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Freddie Stubbs

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Fri Dec-10-10 09:13 AM
Response to Reply #7

9. Experience at losing presidential primaries

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DemocratSinceBirth

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Fri Dec-10-10 10:40 AM
Response to Reply #9

11. My Irony Didn't Escape You

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