Why Unions Aren't Uniting Behind Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-08-03/why-unions-aren-t-uniting-behind-hillary-clinton-or-bernie-sanders
Josh Eidelson
In the failed fight to stop fast track, organized labor spokelargelywith one voice. The main U.S. union federation, the AFL-CIO, announced a temporary freeze on PAC contributions, and its affiliate unions mostly complied. Unions across the industry spectrum warned Democrats against siding with Obama on trade. Some big unions were quieter than others, but none defected to shield the president. It was a unifying moment, says Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
The same cant be said for labors presidential endorsement process. Some want to wait, some want to move, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers President Tom Buffenbarger told Bloomberg last month. Some are just so pissed off that they just dont want to do anything.
This week, Democratic 2016 hopefuls Bernie Sanders, Martin OMalley, Lincoln Chafee, and Jim Webb will court organized labor at the Iowa AFL-CIOs annual confab. Last week in Maryland, Sanders, OMalley, and Webbalong with prohibitive frontrunner Hillary Clinton and Republican Mike Huckabeeeach met privately with the union leaders who comprise the national federations executive council. Labor leaders were encouraged by our discussions, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a July 30 statement.
But divisions abound. A month ago, after the AFL-CIOs South Carolina and Vermont chapters passed pro-Sanders resolutions, the AFL-CIO sent a memo reminding its state subsidiaries that (unlike the AFL-CIOs affiliated unions) they arent allowed to make their own presidential endorsements. Leaders of affiliate unions who sit on the executive council tell Bloomberg that Trumka also urged them to hold off on making presidential picks until the council got to meet the candidates July 29 and 30. (The AFL-CIO declined to comment about private conversations.) Hes trying to actually do what he did in trade, and that is to keep the unions together, to use their most effective voice collectively, National Nurses United Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro told Bloomberg last month. But given the autonomy of the individual unions, she said, Hes got the power of persuasionthats the only thing he has.
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