The Daily Beast: Can Big Labor Learn to Love Hillary?

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/04/15/can-big-labor-learn-to-love-hillary.html

LABORIOUS 04.15.15 5:15 AM ET

They’re the organizers and activists that are key to any Democrat’s presidential hope. And right now, they’re feeling anything but active.

When Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy Sunday, the response from one of the major unions had all the enthusiasm of a slow clap.

“We applaud Secretary Clinton’s decision to begin her campaign by going directly to voters and listening to them first,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in a statement. “We believe she, and they, will hear an urgent need to raise wages in America, and an equally urgent need to reject corporate-driven agendas that produce everything from tax breaks for the wealthy to destructive trade agreements.”

Clinton’s record with unions is pocked with support for positions that were decidedly unfriendly to organized labor. It wasn’t just her support for free trade agreements which guys like Trumka hate so much. It was also her ties to companies known for outsourcing -- ties that then-Senator Barack Obama used to bash Clinton in their 2008 campaign face-off.

FULL story at link.

[Gman]

1. labor will not endorse her until the national COPE

convention next year, if then. Reason being since Lane Kirkland pissed a lot of us off with the early Mondale endorsement, labor holds back to let everyone support the Democrat of their choosing. I say it's possible at the COPE convention next year because she may be the only viable candidate at the time. If there are one or two others they'll wait. It's not because of Hillary's "pock marked" past. But labor's endorsement of her is a foregone conclusion.

[WillyT]

2. K & R !!!