Unions Find Members Slow to Rally Behind Democrats

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Times

The Democrats will depend on labor unions — the shock troops of their political campaigns — to offset two new developments this election cycle: Tea Party enthusiasm and corporations’ ability to spend unlimited amounts thanks to a Supreme Court ruling.

Labor leaders, alarmed at a possible Republican takeover of one or both Houses of Congress, promise to devote a record amount of money and manpower to helping Democrats stave off disaster. But political analysts, and union leaders themselves, say that their efforts may not be enough because union members, like other important parts of the Democratic base, are not feeling particularly enthusiastic about the party — a reality that, in turn, further dampens the Democrats’ chances of holding onto their Congressional majorities.

“The problem for us is to really re-excite the rank and file to the greatest degree possible,” said Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees and chairman of the A.F.L.-C.I.O.’s political committee. “They’ve been disappointed that the House and Senate haven’t done more, especially to create jobs.”

It is a measure of the dread among Democrats and their labor allies that several unions are no longer threatening to withhold endorsements from some conservative or moderate Democrats, like Representative Zack Space of Ohio, because they had bucked labor on health care legislation or other issues. Now, unions are generally backing those Democrats, feeling labor cannot afford such a strategy when the Democrats’ prospects seem so troubled.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/18/us/18labor.html?_r=1&hp

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Have union members somehow gotten the idea that the Dems won't fight for them?

[PassingFair]

5. NAFTA maybe?

Did you forget your SARCASM thingy?

[FiveGoodMen]

6. I didn't forget it, I just thought it was obvious.

[awoke_in_2003]

21. don't worry...

good sarcasm doesn't need the tag- I got it :)

[joeybee12]

2. Well, when a party that is supposedly your ally is bashing you and busting you...

...is anyone surprised no one is enthused?

[Dappleganger]

3. Well...

when you continually get thrown under the bus after awhile you begin to run the other way.

[vi5]

4. Wow, I can't possibly imagine why that would be.

Next thing you know you'll be trying to convince me that women, gays, and young people are slow to rally behind democrats as well.

[bc3000]

7. Shock troops? that seems rather pejorative

[No Elephants]

32. Yep. More liberal media bias.

[Doctor_J]

8. It will serve Space right if he gets kicked out for supporting Beck instead

of his constituents.

[Nite Owl]

9. Let me think

just how could that be?
Tired of being mocked and called names maybe? Nothing done for the unions?

[MichiganVote]

10. Fool me once......

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

28. Fool me a hundred times...

[doc03]

11. F--- the UAW, remember that one?

[awoke_in_2003]

22. I bet every UAW member does. nt

[No Elephants]

37. Which Democrat said something that suicidal? Must have been some fucking liberal retard!

Hope s/he at least got fired immediately.

[w4rma]

12. $50 Billion for infrastructure, but $200 - $300 Billion for taxcuts to move factories to anti-union

states. Why would they be very enthusiastic?

[iamtechus]

13. What would cause teachers to be enthusiastic about them?

[stray cat]

14. Everyone gets one vote - so union members can decide to get behind the GOP who supports them

[impik]

15. Well, everyone will get what they deserve. In this case: Republican congress

that should be fun.

[provis99]

18. Obama and the Democratic Congress will get the Republican congress they deserve.

[jwirr]

20. Don't kid yourself - when that happens it will be all of us who suffer. It

will be Obama, the congress, the union and us who will be back in boooshland again.

[customerserviceguy]

16. I can't imagine that the Cadillac tax has got labor ecstatic, either

Yes, I know that the unions bargained a delay in the White House committee, but when Scott Brown got elected, it was time to throw the working people out the window, rather than renegotiate HCR from the ground up.

[boppers]

17. A chunk of the left wanted to eliminate all Cadillac plans entirely.

They wanted single payer, instead.

In the end, a lot of people are pissed about HCR, because so many folks wanted so many different things.

[No Elephants]

33. BS. Medicare for all= Cadillac Plan for everyone.

[mdmc]

36. 1

[Omaha Steve]

19. There are several D's that need to rally behind labor too

K&R!

[Hulk]

23. WIMPS!!

Yeah...this is exactly what will get them ahead...GIVE UP! I'm going to hold final judgment for a bit longer..but if that's what union backbone is all about...then they can eat shit and bark at the moon.

Yeah..they haven't gotten what they want. Have they been watching WHY? Honestly, I'm ashamed to be a union person if this is all the grit these boys and girls have. There are something like 40+ repukkes and a handful of coward-repukkkes in Democratic clothing in the Senate...and nothing gets done. THEN TOSS THE BASTARDS OUT!! Instead, sounds like they might want to quit playing and stick their heads up their asses??

Give me a break. If you think QUITING is going to get you what you want, then you aren't anything more than Tea baggers in Union clothing. This is disgusting. Give it up. Two years of President Obama busting his ass to inch your goals ahead...and you don't like the speed. Well...f*ck you! wimps!

The Unions better show some grit and muscle and get the job done, or this country is f*cked. Maybe that's what they want? Too much glen beck for your little egos? Jesus....how sad. Your brother and sister-ancestors would be ashamed of you!!

[CANDO]

24. 21 year Teamster

Tell you what, good luck finding Democratic Teamsters in PA outside of Philly and Pittsburgh. Nothing but a bunch of nra rednecks who just love the tough guy rugged individual bullshit of the GOP.

[Imajika]

26. Yup, I was going to say the same....

There are a lot of union members that are more Reagan Democrats anyway. These types will either stay home or even vote for the Republicans if they sound a lot of the right socially conservative, patriotic/jingoistic themes.

[snot]

25. K&R'd

[Vidar]

27. If the Democratic Party won't get its head out of its ass, the unions should

field a real labor party.

[prolesunited]

39. Well, I guess they'll just have to settle for the GOP

being in charge. Like it or not, we have a two-party system,

[michreject]

29. I retired from UAW Local 160

GM Tech Center. A large majority of the hourly work force is conservative and vote that way.

[No Elephants]

34. Forty years ago, that was not so. What do you suppose changed--

the needs and aspirations of working people, or the Democratic Party?

If people get very little back from government, the party that has a reputation for lowering taxes may seem like the worker's best bet.

Of course, unions ain't what they used to be, either.

[amandabeech]

38. If neither party will deal with jobs going overseas,

then why not vote for the folks who don't bash your religion and your values?

Remember Obama talking negatively about those people who cling to their guns and God?

Obama's still taking scads of money and spending his time with people who hate the rank and file.

Remember Austan Goolsbee and his reassurance of the Canadians that Obama wouldn't amend NAFTA?

Goolsbee just got promoted to Christina Romer's job.

The Dems left the rank and file blue collar union members a long time ago.

Now they've left the teachers, too.

What's left? SEIU?

[MisterP]

30. and that slack-mouthed, me-so-innocent, why-do-they-hate-us surprise at that reluctance

will only repel even more people

[hughee99]

31. For this election, the union needs to get its issues addressed BEFORE the vote

or, just like '08, after the election it won't be the "right time". Pass the Employee Free Choice Act and THEN we can talk about "ground support".

[YvonneCa]

40. Yes, AND get behind teachers...

...instead of scapegoating them to implement education reform. It's hard to be energized when under attack. I am sorry to say that, because I support President Obama...but it's true.

[michreject]

42. I know that the UAW rank and file will never back teachers

I hear it at union meetings all the time. The thought is that teachers were the largest unionized group that lead a mass exodus to non union Asian automakers. It cost the UAW millions of jobs.

For the record, I'm one of em.

[YvonneCa]

44. Actually, my thought was more that administration Democrats...

...needed to stop scaprgoating teachers. You may be right that the UAW won't 'back them' (teachers) but I have to tell you... if unions (all of them) don't unite and stop fighting each other...we will ALL pay a price.

[mdmc]

35. Why do working people think we wont have their backs?

NAFTA
Single Payer
Teacher bashing..

[dpbrown]

41. The problem with Kaine and Emanuel and other Manchurian Democrats is this game

Now they suddenly "need" the base, so we should all just forget about how un-enthused the administration has apparently been in actually getting some populist stuff passed with Congress and a mandate.

[Brickbat]

43. Good. Maybe for once the Democrats will learn.

I, for one, am sick and tired of being taken for granted and being pandered to and begged for support in the months before an election, and then told to go sit and wait and settle after an election. I wish unions would withhold more endorsements and cash and volunteers.