Alaska ‘Union Boss’ Driving That Dented ‘99 Tahoe

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/02/14/union-boss-driving-that-dented-99-tahoe/

by Mike Hall, Feb 14, 2008

Vince Beltrami says his bulky 250-pound frame, shaved head, Italian last name and “mean-looking” appearance conjure up the “typical stereotype image of a union boss.”

Dubbing his Anchorage Daily News guest column, “Confessions of a Union Boss,” the president of the Alaska AFL-CIO dispels some of the stereotyped images of union boss” and “Big Labor” bandied about by the extremist anti-worker right, including Alaska talk-radio mouth Dan Fagan.


Alaska State AFL-CIO President Vince Beltrami (center) at an Anchorage rally for the Employee Free Choice Act.


Beltrami says that when he hands an Alaskan candidate a check, it comes from small contributions from hundreds of union members, not from an oil company bigwig.

However, he says Fagan:

calls my colleagues and me “Big Labor” and says we run the government. I wish! He says labor outspends oil companies in elections three to one. Huh? Obviously, with this considerable dominant position, we should have three Democrats to every Republican in the Legislature. My fuzzy math still can’t make that one work.

A “union boss” should be tooling around in fine set of wheels. However, as Beltrami notes:

When I show up at meetings with oil executives and other business people in town, I always marvel in the parking lot as I walk past the rows of Cadillacs, BMWs, Mercedeses and Lexuses as I get out of my dented ‘99 Tahoe with 135,000 miles on it. Man! A big union boss deserves better. Doesn’t he?

The truth is every “union boss” I know is a regular working stiff who came out of the field and stepped up to do the Lord’s work for his brothers and sisters and the families we are all trying to support. Many of us have taken a cut in pay to do it. We’re salaried now. No more overtime. Rats!

FULL story at link.

[av8rdave]

1. "Union Boss" is just another label conjured by the right wing press

It's right up there with "tree hugger," "feminazi," "soccer mom," and "activist judge."

Gotta admit, they're good with propaganda...just not so good with governing.

[bperci108]

2. As for "treehugger"...

...I've appropriated that one with pride and a big window sticker.

When people ask about it, especially right-wingers that are the "outdoorsy-type" I remind them that Teddy Roosevelt was a tree hugger and they should be too if they want clean air and water to hunt and fish.

It's actually changed some attitudes, I think. ;)

As for the rest of the pejoratives, I don't think they can be salvaged.... :(

[av8rdave]

3. Good for you! I too accept that label with pride!

[AnneD]

4. I am my building union steward......

yeah, I'm rollin in dough.:sarcasm:

For all the extra meetings I attend, all the block walks and candidate phone banks I man....I consider myself lucky to get a meal with my union colleagues to make up for the one I am missing with my family.

I got a little grocery gift card thank you gift for Christmas-and promptly gave it to a member in my building that had cancer. Hey...rollin in the dough :sarcasm:

The one good thing-I have to lobby legislators occasionally and most of the time they will pay for a ticket and cost or I am reimbursed. I have got to go to the state capital and DC. I have fond memories of those travels. I usually share a room in a nice hotel (I am a Motel 6 kinda gal normally-but seems there are no Motel 6's in DC). That is living high on the hog as I have ever experienced.

I know my union friends pay their dues and expect me to do my best to represent them and their interests. Anything less would be theft. I am not a Corporate Thief-I'm a card carrying union member.