Before anyone else criticizes the unions for the "tentative deal" rumored yesterday...

[highplainsdem]

Let's wait to see what in fact is going on.

I'm talking about the story originating with National Journal's Congress Daily yesterday morning, a report that union leaders had made a tentative deal that would exempt unions from the excise tax on Cadillac health plans (rather than continuing to push to eliminate the misguided tax completely, or raise the threshold so non-union workers would also be helped).

I don't think it's any coincidence that this story was put out there early on the same day as the call-in organized by the AFL-CIO.

I was checking Google News yesterday when I saw this story pop up, with some sites immediately criticizing the unions.

Fortunately I noticed that Politico was running an update with an email from an AFL-CIO spokesman, denying the story.

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/0110/Unions_strike_tentative_deal_on_Cadillac_tax.html

*UPDATE: AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale e-mails to knock down the story: "It is not true that there any deals. With our national call-in day, and meetings with the White House and Congress, we continue to work hard to get a bill that is worthy of being called health care reform."

I should have posted about that denial here, when I saw it, but I hadn't noticed anyone here posting the "tentative deal" story. When I did notice topics about it last night, I posted replies about what the union spokesman had said.

I also ran across stories, last night, about House leaders indicating they might go along with a compromise raising the threshold for the excise tax. It's possible this might be what's being interpreted by some as a plan to exempt unions from the excise tax. This would also exempt a lot more non-union workers from the tax.

We simply don't know, at this point, what is going on.

But I am concerned that at least some of the sites running with the "tentative deal" story were obviously relishing using this to try to hurt the unions.

Personally, I don't think the unions, whose pressure on the WH and Congress seems to be having some effect, should settle for a deal that exempts only union workers from the excise tax. This helps explain why:

http://workinprogress.firedoglake.com/2010/01/14/union-exemption-from-excise-tax-is-a-bad-bad-idea/

I've belonged to two different unions in my life (different occupations). I don't belong to one at the moment, but I'm pro-union.

I believe the AFL-CIO spokesman who denied that story yesterday.

And I hope people here will give the unions the benefit of the doubt, and just wait to see what happens.

[OHdem10]

1. Are there really DUers who prefer to attack Unions while giving

Surtax on the Rich a pass????

The Senators in their bill refused to tax the highest Income
Earners choosing to tax Middle Class Union Workers.

[Mithreal]

2. Yes