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There was a time when the Democratic Party was the party of the Unions but no more, Unions have to start looking at third parties such as the Green Party to call home
There was a time when the Democratic Party was the party of the Unions but no more, Unions have to start looking at third parties such as the Green Party to call home
Maybe people are realizing that the corruption of labor organizations probably just feeds the corruption of our politicians, who in turn feed the corruption of the labor organizations. Its a big nasty cycle.
In fact, labor unions are solidly behind President Obama, probably more so than any president in recent memory since FDR.
Yes, that seems so very obvious. The AFL-CIO has already endorsed him for re-election. And given the coordinated GOP attack on working people and the nation's traditional middle-class, I doubt many union members will cast a vote against the President. He'll garner a larger vote count from labor than 4 years ago.
In fact, labor unions are solidly behind President Obama, probably more so than any president in recent memory since FDR.
By his defiant rejection of the Keystone Pipeline and other energy creation programs, President Obama opened a window of opportunity for the GOP or others to try to win them over. Trouble is, the GOP has been so thoroughly anti-union over the last decade that it's a complete non-starter.
It's a catch 22. Unions are permanently in the Democrats pocket, therefore the GOP hates them. Because the GOP hates them, the Democrats will always have unions in their pocket. I don't think this is necessarily a good thing for labor unions. The Democrats can completely screw them over and the unions have nowhere else to run to. It's not like they're gonna start donating and voting Republican.
I do wish that Obama had vetoed that bill. But once again, he compromised and signed it to get the stuff he wanted (like multi-year funding for the beleaguered FAA), even though it came with a bunch of stuff that he didn't want (like anti-labor legislation). From my reading on the subject, he felt his hands were tied.
The Republican House forced anti-labor legislation into the FAA funding bill. Obama and the Senate majority made it clear that they opposed the anti-labor features from the start. Hence, there was massive negotiation, a lengthy delay in signing it, a 2 week partial shutdown of the FAA last summer, and protracted government in-fighting -- again, over yet another bill that contains a boatload of good and a boatload of bad that can lead to only two choices -- veto the bill and all the good that comes with it, or sign the bill and accept all the bad.
Without the bill, the FAA was effectively prohibited from long-term planning and necessary technological advancement for our nation's air traffic control system, amongst other things. With the bill, the FAA can proceed past their current WWII technology, but labor unions have to take it in the shorts.
I just find it woefully disingenuous and frustrating to hear the Republicans (and other parties) then turn around and blame Obama and his administration for their 'anti-union' stance. Obama did not want that legislation in there. That's why the bill was held up for so long! In my view, US Congressman John Mica (R-Fla) should take much of the blame for the whole mess. He's the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman who effectively created the stalemate, allowed last summer's partial shutdown, and instigated the passing of anti-labor legislation. And in the end? He's the one praising the Republicans for passing the bill (and 'rushing' aid to the beleaguered FAA) while simultaneously blaming the Democrats for the lengthy delays!
Ridiculous.
In my opinion, our government is out of control. Wasteful. Too partisan. Unreasonable. Disingenuous.
I think everybody including Unions are starting to wise up to the Democratic Party at least on the lower levels or smaller unions, I have no doubt that many of the higher ups of the larger unions are sleeping with more than one person.
Maybe people are realizing that the corruption of labor organizations probably just feeds the corruption of our politicians, who in turn feed the corruption of the labor organizations. Its a big nasty cycle.
Are you agreeable to stopping ALL Corporate contributions too, then? Or just those that come from organizations composed of people who represent working class Americans?
The GOP has been doing a pretty good job over the past 40 years of trying to shut off the Labor cash-flow to the Dems, while Citizens United opened the floodgates for Management cash flow to the GOP. How is Labor's contributions corrupting, and Management's not?
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