Romney’s 9-Point Plan to Annihilate Unions

[marmar]

from In These Times:


Romney’s 9-Point Plan to Annihilate Unions
What Mitt Romney and the GOP would like to do to labor.

BY Jeremy Gantz


Except for one quick swipe at teachers unions by Mitt Romney on Monday, neither of the major-party presidential candidates—nor their running mates—mentioned workers’ rights, collective bargaining or organized labor during any of the four presidential-campaign debates.

Usually, anything happening in the swing-state-rich Midwest gets scrupulous attention from presidential candidates. Given the momentous labor battles that played out across Midwestern political stages over the last few years, as GOP lawmakers waged attacks on unions in Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio, the omissions were surprising. But then again, given unions’ declining size and presumed lack of clout among undecided voters in swing states, perhaps they weren't.

When unions have popped up during the general election season, it was as enemies of progress. Romney’s reference to unionized teachers as an obstacle to reform during the foreign policy debate, of all places, was so quick you probably missed it. In fact, he would like to eviscerate them. (More on that below.)

Labor leaders have painted a stark picture of what might lie ahead should Romney win. “A worker voting for Mitt Romney is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders,” Richard Trumka told Working In These Times during an AFL-CIO rally in August. Romney wants to “annihilate organized labor as we know it,” Teamsters President James Hoffa said in September. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/14076/romneys_9_point_plan_to_kill_unions

[justgamma]

1. There's a Romney ad running

with a woman complaining about lower wages. She blames Obama. Ain't that a kicker.

[bemildred]

2. The Big Lie is alive and well in America. nt