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TheMastersNemesis

(10,602 posts)
Thu Oct 8, 2015, 11:37 AM Oct 2015

Sad Loss Of Pensions. Why Did Teamsters Support Reagan In 1980.

If I remember it right I believe the Teamsters supported Reagan over Carter in 1980. And they also supported Reagan in 1984 as well despite what he did to the air traffic controllers. Perhaps I am wrong, but I was at DOL then and was puzzled by that support.

In fact a lot of unions never came to the aid air traffic controllers. There seemed to be this attitude by the trade unions and others that government employee unions were NOT one of them. Now we see the result of the lack of support.

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Sad Loss Of Pensions. Why Did Teamsters Support Reagan In 1980. (Original Post) TheMastersNemesis Oct 2015 OP
Good question. nt ladjf Oct 2015 #1
I Don't Understand Why The Unions Did Not Fight Reagan. TheMastersNemesis Oct 2015 #4
Because Carter deregulated trucking, among other things. Brickbat Oct 2015 #2
What You Said Makes Sense. Carter Fucked Up To Put It Mildly. TheMastersNemesis Oct 2015 #5
Yes, they messed up. They didn't push back, emboldening Republicans closeupready Oct 2015 #3
Few Americans support labor any more and really don't give a shit either YabaDabaNoDinoNo Oct 2015 #6
That Attitude Is Why American Workers Are Now Royally Fucked. TheMastersNemesis Oct 2015 #7
the really sad part is if a poll were taken here about what people drive less then 30% YabaDabaNoDinoNo Oct 2015 #10
If you were born in 1980 or after, all you have ever heard is that unions are bad, CrispyQ Oct 2015 #9
Good for you. I'll memorize your answer to use with similar union-phobes in my red state. nt raccoon Oct 2015 #11
And they will say, "What an old fart." CrispyQ Oct 2015 #12
the 80s were a time of blind greed olddots Oct 2015 #8
They also called a bus strike in Fort Worth on election day 2006, so that McCamy Taylor Oct 2015 #13
PATCO also endorsed Saint Ronnie in 1980 Major Nikon Oct 2015 #14
Oh! Is that right? Very interesting. closeupready Oct 2015 #15
Yep, they trusted Saint Ronnie over Carter Major Nikon Oct 2015 #16
Knowing that now, it certainly changes my views. closeupready Oct 2015 #17
This message was self-deleted by its author BigDemVoter Oct 2015 #18
Lot of people in UAW did too. Octafish Oct 2015 #19
 

TheMastersNemesis

(10,602 posts)
4. I Don't Understand Why The Unions Did Not Fight Reagan.
Thu Oct 8, 2015, 11:44 AM
Oct 2015

NOT supporting the air traffic controllers was the biggest mistake in union history. They left Reagan an open field to over run them.

 

TheMastersNemesis

(10,602 posts)
5. What You Said Makes Sense. Carter Fucked Up To Put It Mildly.
Thu Oct 8, 2015, 11:49 AM
Oct 2015

I remember when Carted deregulated trucking. I had been a traffic manager for a large liquor wholesale company in the early 1970's and rand 4 long haul trucks to back east picking up loads from our distilleries. So I was very familiar with trucking. What you said now explains the Teamsters support.

Carter was similar to Clinton in some ways in that he supported some GOP ideas that eventually screwed him. Yet Carter would still probably have won if the Reagan team had not committed treason. They made a secret deal with Iran to keep the hostages. And suspiciously Casey had a brain fart before he could testify before Congress.

 

YabaDabaNoDinoNo

(460 posts)
6. Few Americans support labor any more and really don't give a shit either
Thu Oct 8, 2015, 11:51 AM
Oct 2015

Proof all the non Union American built toyotas, Hondas, Kia's, Hyundais sitting in Americans driveways


 

YabaDabaNoDinoNo

(460 posts)
10. the really sad part is if a poll were taken here about what people drive less then 30%
Thu Oct 8, 2015, 01:04 PM
Oct 2015

Would drive a Union built car

Not much love for union workers here



CrispyQ

(36,224 posts)
9. If you were born in 1980 or after, all you have ever heard is that unions are bad,
Thu Oct 8, 2015, 12:56 PM
Oct 2015

& that labor wants everything for nothing. I think most Americans don't consider themselves 'labor' & that's how the repubs got away with it. 'Labor' is the kid working at McD's. 'Labor' is the plummer who fixes your toilet. 'Labor' is not a mid-level accountant at a corporation. Except, that it is! But they've been convinced they are not labor & then vote against labor.

I was a the local grocery store a few years back at the time the union was negotiating with mgmt. I asked the young clerk how the union negotiations were going. "Oh, I would never join a union," she said with total disgust. I told her, "If it weren't for unions, you wouldn't have vacation time, health benefits, & safe working conditions. Read some history." I know I sounded like an old fart, but I couldn't help it.

CrispyQ

(36,224 posts)
12. And they will say, "What an old fart."
Thu Oct 8, 2015, 01:33 PM
Oct 2015


I saw a bumper sticker a long time ago & wish I'd bought it:

The Labor Movement: The Folks
Who Brought You the Weekend


 

olddots

(10,237 posts)
8. the 80s were a time of blind greed
Thu Oct 8, 2015, 12:04 PM
Oct 2015

a bad point in the evolution of capitalism , a time of experimenting with selling out .Things have gotten bad enough so that unions are much needed again to reinstate a middle class .

McCamy Taylor

(19,240 posts)
13. They also called a bus strike in Fort Worth on election day 2006, so that
Thu Oct 8, 2015, 01:37 PM
Oct 2015

poor folks could not get to the polls to vote against Rick Perry whom they supported. Tarrant County was the only major Texas city that did not have a huge election day turn out (which favored Dems) that year.

Quid pro quo is the most likely reason. Plus, the GOP can hold up the Teamsters as a symbol of union corruption in their efforts to paint all unions as corrupt in their never ending quest to kill unions in this country.

Major Nikon

(36,814 posts)
16. Yep, they trusted Saint Ronnie over Carter
Thu Oct 8, 2015, 01:58 PM
Oct 2015
In the 1980 presidential election, PATCO (along with the Teamsters and the Air Line Pilots Association) refused to back President Jimmy Carter, instead endorsing Republican Party candidate Ronald Reagan. PATCO's refusal to endorse the Democratic Party stemmed in large part from poor labor relations with the FAA (the employer of PATCO members) under the Carter administration and Ronald Reagan's endorsement of the union and its struggle for better conditions during the 1980 election campaign.[5][6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Air_Traffic_Controllers_Organization_%281968%29
 

closeupready

(29,503 posts)
17. Knowing that now, it certainly changes my views.
Thu Oct 8, 2015, 02:12 PM
Oct 2015

In terms of how much I really should sympathize with them for what happened.

Wow. That's gotta be the most interesting thing I've read here on DU for quite some time. Thanks.

Response to TheMastersNemesis (Original post)

Octafish

(55,745 posts)
19. Lot of people in UAW did too.
Thu Oct 8, 2015, 02:29 PM
Oct 2015

Proud to be called "Macomb Democrats" in metro Detroit. Most of them I've spoken with about it really regret it now.

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