AFL-CIO's Trumka Calls for Labor Movement Separate from Parties: 'I've Had a Snootful of This Shit!'

[Karmadillo]

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/06/09-1

Published on Thursday, June 9, 2011 by The Nation
AFL-CIO's Trumka Calls for Labor Movement Separate from Parties: 'I've Had a Snootful of This Shit!'
by John Nichols

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka sent his strongest signal yet about the labor movement’s frustration with the dysfunctional politics of the moment—where Republicans go to extremes on behalf of big banks and multinational corporations, Democrats compromise and working families are left out of the equation.

Speaking this week at the National Nurses United conference AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told those gathered, "Together, we’re going to build up our working families, and return America to prosperity the only way it’s ever been done -- by working people standing shoulder-to-shoulder and fighting for what’s right -- and we won’t be quiet until we win!" Speaking Tuesday to the National Nurses United conference in Washington, where more than one thousand nurses from across the country rallied to begin the push to replace the politics of setting for less with a unapologetic demands for a new economic agenda, Trumka found a plenty of takers for his agressively progressive message.

“We want an independent labor movement strong enough to return balance to our economy, fairness to our tax system, security to our families and moral and economic standing to our nation,” declared Trumka, who in recent months has been repositioning the AFL-CIO as a force that will hold Republicans and Democrats to what he describes as “a simple standard: “Are they helping or hurting working families?”

“We can’t simply build the power of any political party or any candidate. For too long we’ve been left after the election holding a canceled check and asking someone to pay attention to us. No more! No more!” the federation president, a former United Mineworkers union chief, shouted above the cheers of the nurses.

more...

[Le Taz Hot]

1. I'm all for it!

Make them EARN the endorsement. Auto-endorse has sucked so far and has given workers NOTHING.

[xchrom]

2. recommend

[Brickbat]

3. Right on, sign me up. It's going to take a lot more than exciting speeches, though. We need to

exercise some muscles we haven't used in many years.

[Oceansaway]

4. Amen !..n/t

[Generic Other]

5. Standing with my union !!!!

[demosincebirth]

6. Too late for now to put their feet to the fire. Any meaningful legislation

will be negated by the republican led House.

[Le Taz Hot]

7. It's never too late to stand up for workers.

This goes far beyond legislation.

[Brickbat]

10. Which means we need to go beyond legislation.

[guitar man]

17. Exactly

The time is coming to get medeivel on their ass :grr:

[Oilwellian]

21. I like the way you think n/t

[Donnachaidh]

8. [phone] n/t

[vi5]

9. Good. Cut off the money....

Enough of the Democrats taking the money and then compromising rather than fighting.

[denverbill]

11. Couldn't agree more. I wish labor would actually recruit candidates and vet them.

[bvar22]

12. When the Working CLass & The Poor....

...realize WE have more in common with each other
than we have in common with the Rich Ownership Class leadership of BOTH political parties,
WE can demand real "change".

This year, Wall Street will pay out about $144 billion in bonuses. The budget deficits of all 50 states combined will be $125 billion.
The wealthiest 400 Americans are worth more than the poorest 155 million.
The $40 billion Congress wants to cut from the Federal budget about equals the amount of taxes it forswore collecting from the wealthiest Americans.
GE, BOA and Exxon had combined profits of $57 Billion in 2010 and paid no corporate income taxes in the United States. BOA and GE did however receive $3 billion in tax rebates from the Federal Government that year.

Who will STAND UP and FIGHT for THIS American Majority?
Rhetoric, Promises, and Excuses are meaningless now.
"By their WORKS you will know them,"

[MikeMc]

18. Beautiful. Thanks.

[Starry Messenger]

13. k&r

[joeybee12]

14. Good...Dems have basically been screwing over unions for a while now...

Maybe this will get their attention.

[theophilus]

15. I hope this catches on and goes big. This might help. n/t

[Karmadillo]

16. Kick

nt

[amborin]

19. it's about time! getting shafted on healthcare, etc...time after time

[Horse with no Name]

20. Count me in

Without a strong workforce, our country is destined to fail.

Something that these assclowns in Washington haven't figured out yet.

[UrbScotty]

22. Enjoy President Romney (nt)

[JoeyT]

23. We already are. n/t

[Karmadillo]

26. +1

nt

[Selatius]

25. We sorta have that now. Witness Romneycare. The only difference is they call it "Obamacare." nt

[Scuba]

24. There's some damn good Dems here in Wisconsin. At the Federal level, not so many....

...it's time working People support candidates who support working People.

[SammyWinstonJack]

27. K&R

:applause:

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

28. I'm in!

:kick: