AFL-CIO leader tries to quell pro-Sanders revolt

[Ichingcarpenter]

The labor federation’s rules don’t allow its state and local leaders to endorse presidential candidates, Richard Trumka says as the Vermont senator surges.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/afl-cio-endorsement-2016-democratic-primary-119701.html#ixzz3epzNJMgj

......... comments ?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. I think they should all go out and say

'Well, I'm not allowed to endorse Presidential candidates, but if I were allowed to, I think I would probably endorse Bernie.'

[TheNutcracker]

2. This means....'it's happening........'

[TBF]

3. This one's gotten away from you Trumka -

people are tired of the status quo (billionaires in charge, everyone else broke, jobs being sent overseas by the millions).

Enough. We are voting for Bernie.

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. My thought is they were late to the game

in the last elections and should step up.

[Snotcicles]

6. It's in their bylaws. I think Trumka may endorse Sanders in due time, when they speak as a whole. nt

[TBF]

20. Thank you! That explains it. nt

[Gman]

5. This one is very simple. Locals cannot endorse

because it restricts union members from working in the primaries for the candidate they want to work for. This goes back to 1984 when the national AFL-CIO endorsed Mondale during the primary season. The effect was to cut the legs out from under people who wanted to work for Gary Hart. Afterward, the unofficial policy became to endorse once there was a clear nominee. Members who work against the union endorsement are subject to charges with penalties up to and including expulsion from union membership.

[merrily]

13. Gman, I thought the way you deleted a negative comment and apologized

to the group a while back, once you realized you had posted in a group, was very classy.

I wanted to acknowledge that.

[Gman]

17. Well, thank you

Those groups are supposed to be a safe haven and that should be respected.

[merrily]

21. I agree, but we've all seen behaviors that are inconsistent. Yours was classy.

[Gman]

23. Thank you

[MichMan]

25. You can be expelled?

If the union leadership endorses a candidate, any member can be expelled if they decide to support someone else?

[Gman]

26. Yes. It's extremely rare

But if someone were to constantly support teabagger candidates, and if they're real in your face, I, for one, would be filing charges and pushing for expulsion. You don't work against the union. You just don't.

In primaries, unions will generally endorse the incumbent (assuming Democrat). In a contest where there is an open seat and there are two strong challengers, the union may do a "no endorsement" or a "dual endorsement.

When it's close between Democrats, labor will usually let the members work for who they want. Once the GE comes around, and the teabagger Union member comes around, charges would likely be filed.

[jwirr]

28. This must have been a real problem in 1980 when a lot of workers moved to support raygun. I

can definitely see the sense of waiting until the nominee is pretty obvious. For instance if they endorsed Bernie now and Hillary won it might be hard to work with her in the future.

However, way in the beginning didn't one of the Unions endorse Hillary and say they were going to stay out of the primary? I cannot remember which union it was. This was when she was the only candidate.

[Gman]

29. It's one thing to just go in the voting booth

and vote for a Republican. No one knows. That's between you and your conscience knowing your voting against what your union leadership thinks best. No one knows, no one gets charges filed. Overall that's pretty minor.

A GOP bumper sticker on your truck is more in your face, but few if any charges are filed. If there are, it's likely there's been a feud going for a while in the workplace.

Actively work in GOP campaigns, you get charges filed.

One note, is is very rare to find a dues paying member working for a GOP candidate. If someone does, they probably never were a union member anyway. They're either a scab or they're paying dues equivalent (the cost of representation in a closed shop state.)

Then there's the practical like, what are you going to do? Expel the one half of your membership that voted for Reagan when the very most important thing is will they honor a picket line?

And yes consideration of a past as well as future working relationship is always a consideration. Supporting Hillary and she doesn't win could make it harder to work with Sanders and vice versa. Those things are usually the number one consideration.

[Autumn]

7. Richard Trumka is making a mistake here. He should step up and let labor endorse the

candidate who looks out for labor. Bernie Sanders. The same old same old just don't work anymore.

[merrily]

14. He should, but I bet he's afraid Hillary might win the nom.

He's been dissatisfied with Democrats from time to time, but, like many Democratic voters, he's been stuck between Third Way and a harder place. If he endorses Bernie and Hillary wins, he's screwed.

[Omaha Steve]

8. Ex-CWA President Larry Cohen officially resigned from his post Monday to support Bernie for free

Because Hillary wouldn't come out against TPP, she lost labor. AFSCME was her biggest labor supporter in 08 because then president wanted the same open door he had when Bill was in office.

New AFSCME President Lee Saunders has already quietly shown where AFSCME is going to be on this.

OS is a proud

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. So what do you see that might happen on this steve?

It is a revolt but what do you think will or could happen?

[Omaha Steve]

10. Bernie picks up volunteers and cope $

Bernie will get the lion's share of organized labor.

Swing states will be targeted with members from other states busing in to knock on doors etc.

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. thanks sounds great n/t

[daleanime]

12. Excellent!

[Gman]

18. Regardless of whichever candidate members support

labor will endorse the eventual nominee in the GE. The point being if folks want Samders to get the labor endorsement, get him the nomination.

[merrily]

15. GREAT to know, Omaha Steve. Thank you so much.

[Babel_17]

16. I hope Sanders provides stickers for their hardhats

Just make sure there's red, white, and blue, for the color scheme.

"Labor for Sanders" bumper stickers as well.

And can we please, please, please, remind the voters which party and candidate is truly the heir of Lincoln's legacy.

http://laborquotes.weebly.com/unions--labor.html

If any man tells you he loves America, yet hates labor, he is a liar. If any man tells you he trusts America, yet fears labor, he is a fool.—Abraham Lincoln

Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if Labor had not first existed. Labor is superior to capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.—Abraham Lincoln

All that harms labor is treason to America.—Abraham Lincoln

I am glad to see that a system of labor prevails under which laborers can strike when they want to.—Abraham Lincoln

[merrily]

22. The confederate flag bs proves which party is the legitimate heir to Lincoln's legacy.

Republicans forfeited it when McKinley decided to glorify the Confederacy as the first Republican "Southern Strategy."

(Just heard about that this week on the Daily Show.)

[Divernan]

19. When asked about HRC, "Who? Who? Please. I mean with all respect, huh?

Johnson agreed that it was important for the AFL-CIO to speak with a single voice. But “there’s a lot of anxiety out there in the labor movement,” he said, “and we’re desperately searching for a candidate that actually speaks to working-class values. The Elizabeth Warren/Bernie Sanders camp is very, very attractive to many of our members and to many of us as leaders, because they’re talking about the things that need to happen in this country.”

Similarly, Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Steven Tolman said he agreed that Trumka had to lay down the law. More tellingly, though, he added: “Bernie Sanders has spent his life actually fighting for working people. He’s made no secret of it, and he’s used it as his mantra. And that I respect very much.” When asked about Clinton’s candidacy, Tolman was less effusive: “Who? Who? Please. I mean with all respect, huh?”

Other state-level union leaders affiliated with the AFL-CIO didn’t bother to give Trumka and his memo lip service. “I was disappointed by it,” said UPTE-CWA Local 9119 organizing coordinator Lisa Kermish, of Berkeley, California. “I think that local unions and national unions, while it’s important to work together for strength, I think that this is in some ways truncating dialogue. And I find that very unfortunate.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/afl-cio-endorsement-2016-democratic-primary-119701.html#ixzz3eqe0GR1Z

[merrily]

24. Now, that's what I call a "tell."

At least I hope so.

[Enthusiast]

27. Richard Trumka has made an error in judgment.