Big Union Leaders Betray Sanders and Workers Published on Friday, April 08, 2016 by Common Dreams
Around a conference table inside the large Washington headquarters of the AFL-CIO, a furious exchange occurred between labor union presidents. It was late February and up for decision by the Executive Council was whether the countrys principal labor federation was going to make a primary season endorsement of Hillary Clinton as favored by the leaders of the largest unions.
According to insiders, tempers flared when smaller unions challenged the Hillary-endorsing big unions such as AFSCME (public employees), the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, the Service Employees (SEIU) and the Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). These large unions came out for Clinton in late 2015 and early 2016 before they sensed the growing rank and file workers preference for the lifetime advocate for workers and union backer, Bernie Sanders.
"Time is of the essence. When will workers again have such a scandal-free, consistent labor champion as Bernie Sanders seriously going for the Presidency inside the Democratic Party?"
Listening to the nurses union head speak out for Sanders strong pro-labor history, Lee Saunders, president of AFSCME, interrupted her, exclaiming: I will not allow you to do a commercial for Sanders. She retorted, You mean for the only candidate who has a 100% labor record?
A union leader of postal workers charged the unions backing Hillary as being completely out of touch with their workers. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka then cut off their microphones.
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/04/08/big-union-leaders-betray-sanders-and-workers