Posted on 05/10/2008 7:24:57 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Organized labor is paying more attention to Republican John McCain as Democrat Barack Obama solidifies his status as the front-runner in the Democratic contest against Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The AFL-CIO, which has not endorsed anyone in the Democratic primary, announced Wednesday that it is sending more than 6,000 of its people to more than 22 states during the next two weekends to talk to more than 200,000 union voters about McCain.
"Senator McCain's economic path would lead to disaster for America's working families," said John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor organization.
Meanwhile, the nation's largest union, the Service Employees International Union, is increasing its focus on the likely Republican presidential nominee. The union's political action committee is already running commercials critical of McCain's health care plan.
The SEIU, which endorsed Obama, has called the Illinois senator "the presumptive nominee."
"We've had a long process and the outcome is now clear," said Anna Burger, the SEIU's secretary treasurer. "The Democratic Party should come together to focus on winning in November."
But Clinton's union supporters say they're solidly behind her.
If the New York senator can win in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon and Puerto Rico _ the next four of the six remaining primaries _ then she can make a case to the Democratic superdelegates that she's the best candidate, said Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
"The end of the road is not winning the nomination," McEntee said. "The end of the road is getting the victory in November ... We just believe Obama has a higher mountain to climb than Clinton to beat McCain."
Some of Clinton's most powerful union supporters _ AFSCME, the American Federation of Teachers and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers _ have re-declared their allegiance to Clinton and said they would continue to work for her.
"The answer is that the fighting Machinists are still fighting," IAM spokesman Rick Sloan said. "Full speed ahead!"
Unions hate republicans, period. Not sure what you CAN counter with.
Maybe veterans? There's a heck of a lot of us.
Says...
SEIU is helping ensure immigrant workers have a shot at the American dream. Representing more immigrants than any other union, SEIU has been a leading voice for immigration reform that rewards work and improves conditions for all working people in this country. SEIU helped pave the way for organized labor to support legalization for hard-working, tax-paying immigrants, and the union's civic participation program encourages immigrants to actively participate in our communities and our democracy.
McCain's gardener and maid are gonna turn on him. LOL!
I always chuckle and shake my head when I hear the hyperbole that comes from the left.
All unions should be illegal, that would solve the problem. A true conservative administration would do that.
some of our own freepers
hold the same positions as the unions.
Good luck. I could tell you horror stories about violence, sabotage, vandalism, hoodlimism. Its all pretty much accepted by the press, by the police and by the powers-that-be. Join a union if you want. Collective bargain if you think it necessary, but don’t try to bend the laws of free market economics to support your unionism. That’s all I ask.
I belonged to AFSCME when I worked for the state. If someone is negotiating for me with my employer, I feel I owe them dues, even if I completely disagree with them politically.
I havee been a member of 4 unions over much of the course of 35 years of work. I have never felt that I owed any union my allegiance any more than I would if the mafia “protected” my business from fire or other mishap. In any venue of work, I have always found better employment sooner or later without contributing to our national enemies.
"Democrats Declare War on Democracy!"
Gov. Ritter Finds a "Right to Intimidate" in Constitution.
The GOP should put their arm around the unions and get them to support the drilling of oil.
At an national IBEW gathering in Atlantic City last week, an official from Reading, PA told a gathering that it “is important that no matter who the candidate is, we elect someone Blue.” Except for the occassional bashing of Comcast and Verizon, the entire week could have been a DNC meeting.
While forced to witness the brainwashing of the membership, through the week, I was forced to recall when a nephew asked me how the people of Germany, Russia and Italy could have supported the likes of Hitler, Lenin and Mousilini. I saw the answer first hand.
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