Now Is The Time

I took the night of November 4th off to celebrate the election of Barack Obama to become the 44th President of the United States. Seasons on McHenry Ave was packed with Democrats celebrating Barack and the seats picked up by Democrats in the House and Senate. It was exhilarating to watch history being made with the election of our first black President. A big part of Barack’s victory was unions across the country getting out the vote for Obama and the pro-labor Democratic Party. Now the question is if President Elect Obama is going to fulfill his campaign promise to unions and push for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. This article in the Wall Street Journal indicates that it might not happen in the first 100 days of the Obama administration, which is usually when a new administration pushes forward its agenda. We will know soon enough. I would suggest to all union members that we write our members of Congress and ask them to push the Employee Free Choice Act to the top of the agenda. If Democrats want to help the middle class in this country, then nothing is more important then giving workers the opportunity to form unions.

Regarding “The Big Squeeze”

I have received some feedback from my blog titled “The Big Squeeze” and I would like to amend a comment I made. I quoted this paragraph from “The Big Squeeze:

“At many unions, the notion of union democracy became an oxymoron. Many union presidents saw themselves as presidents-for-life. Too often they surrounded themselves with yes-men who were scared to challenge them or raise fresh ideas. And too often union leaders deliberately kept the rank and file uninvolved and in the dark, usually because they knew that an informed, invigorated rank and file could someday rise up against them on anything from bloated leader salaries to terrible contracts. A movement that was once inspiring became a champion of the status quo. It had lost its vigor, its vision and its way.”

In quoting this I didn’t mean to imply that every part of this quote seemed similar to our union. However, when Greenhouse said, “union leaders deliberately kept the rank and file uninvolved and in the dark” this does hit home. If nothing is asked, then little will be given. Why doesn’t our leadership ask more of our members besides our dues? Why haven’t we been asked to form and join committees that are in our bylaws, but currently don’t exist? Part of the duty of a union is to educate, but we don’t even have an Education Committee. We are currently in an election year, but where is our Political Activities Committee? Unions across the nation are campaigning for Senator Barack Obama and his promise of a seat at the table for unions, yet our union is silent. It just makes me frustrated and sad that our leadership doesn’t ask us to be more involved in our own union. Unions are a lot like families. We may disagree, argue, and even fight, but in the end we are all brothers and sisters with common hopes and dreams. Diversity of opinions only makes our union stronger, and involving more members through committees is a great way to move our union forward.What I would like to see at the next union meeting is sign up sheets put out for people to sign up and join the available committees listed in our bylaws. And maybe our leadership is right. Maybe nobody will sign up. But maybe a couple of people will sign up. And maybe those people will recruit more folks to join their committees. The possibilities are endless. But we will never know what kind of union we can become if we are not asked.

McCain Blasts the “Union Agenda”

There are major, compelling reasons why unions across the nation have endorsed Barack Obama for President. One reason is that, if elected, President Obama will sign the Employee Free Choice Act. Another reason is because John McCain is as anti-union as any candidate for President has been in quite some time. Today on CNBC, Maria Bartiromo asked John McCain about the Employee Free Choice Act and his response was to blasts unions and their “agenda”.

BARTIROMO: Will you veto the bill?

Sen. McCAIN: In a New York minute, if I may say that. I will do everything in my power to block such legislation. And imagine, Senator Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid pushing the union agenda. It'd be very, very, very unfortunate.


How unfortunate that these pro-union Democrats are pushing the union agenda of fair pay for a days work, enforcement of labor laws that protect workers, the right to health care, and the right to collective bargaining. The only thing “unfortunate” will be if McCain gets into the White House and continues to appoint anti-worker members to the NLRB, seeks to continue to diminish workers rights, and carries on the policies of the pro-business, anti-worker President Bush. You can read the entire transcript here:
CNBC McCain-Palin Interview

McCain-Palin Falls Apart

Andrew Sullivan, as usual, hits the nail right on the head. Sarah Palin was a horrible pick for McCain. For a party that usually runs on national security, how could McCain even consider Palin to be qualified to be Vice-President and possibly President of the United States? Read about it here: The Palin-McCain Conflict

Another good one for all of my conservative friends: The Top Ten Reasons Conservatives Should Vote For Obama

It Gets Worse

Barack Obama on Health Care

I watched all three debates and Barack went 3-0. Obama is as cool as the other side of the pillow, while McCann seemed on the verge of becoming unhinged during the debate. In the last debate I thought Barack scored big when the discussion came to health care. The key moment, and what should be of interest to union members, is what could happen to our employer provided health coverage if McCann becomes president. Barack Obama from the debate:

Now, what we haven't talked about is Sen. McCain's plan. He says he's going to give you all a $5,000 tax credit. That sounds pretty good. And you can go out and buy your own insurance.
Here's the problem -- that for about 20 million people, you may find yourselves no longer having employer-based health insurance. This is because younger people might be able to get health insurance for $5,000, young and healthy folks.
Older folks, less healthy folks, what's going to end up happening is that you're going to be the only ones left in your employer-based system, your employers won't be able to afford it.
And once you're out on your own with this $5,000 credit, Sen. McCain, for the first time, is going to be taxing the health care benefits that you have from your employer.
And this is your plan, John. For the first time in history, you will be taxing people's health care benefits.
By the way, the average policy costs about $12,000. So if you've got $5,000 and it's going to cost you $12,000, that's a loss for you.
Read the entire transcript at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/15/debate.transcript/index.html

I would recommend to any union members who are still undecided to watch the videos of the debates, and analyze which candidate will be best for the interests of the working class in this country. Also remember that Barack Obama will sign into law the Employee Free Choice Act, which will make it easier for working folks to join unions, including the GMP.

Richard Trumka on race.

Watch this speech by AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka on race and the election. It is a great speech by an amazing individual. I was fortunate enough to watch him speak at the 73rd GMP Quadrennial Convention . Click here: Speech

The Big Squeeze

I have been reading The Big Squeeze by Steven Greenhouse. Steven is a labor writer for the New York Times, and this book is about how the American worker is being squeezed dry by corporations looking to maximize profits at the expense of labor. That is why we need strong unions. Greenhouse notes that FDR wrote that labor unions are an important tool for lifting workers out of poverty and building a prosperous economy. Union workers make, on average, 20 percent higher wages than non-union workers. Union members are 28 percent more likely to have employer-provided health insurance and 54 percent more likely to have employer-provided pensions. The plus for employers is that unionized plants have greater productivity per worker than non-union plants. The positives that unions provide for workers are many. But the section of the book that was really illuminating for me was a section about the problems that have hurt unions over the years. Besides the corruption that has affected some unions, I found this paragraph really hit home:

“At many unions, the notion of union democracy became an oxymoron. Many union presidents saw themselves as presidents-for-life. Too often they surrounded themselves with yes-men who were scared to challenge them or raise fresh ideas. And too often union leaders deliberately kept the rank and file uninvolved and in the dark, usually because they knew that an informed, invigorated rank and file could someday rise up against them on anything from bloated leader salaries to terrible contracts. A movement that was once inspiring became a champion of the status quo. It had lost its vigor, its vision and its way.”

I have read this paragraph to several members of my union and the response is inevitably the same, “I thought we were the only union to have this problem!”

Race is one factor in Obama's nonsupport

John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, has written a provocative article about the Presidential race and whether the deciding factor will be the color of Barack Obama’s skin. From a union standpoint, Barack is on the right side of every issue while John McCann is fundamentally opposed to the issue of union rights. As John Gage says, “There are 100 good reasons to vote for Barack Obama and one really bad reason to vote against him”. But there is ample evidence to suggest that if Barack isn’t ahead by at least 6 points on Election Day, he will lose the election. I am more optimistic and believe that union members will do the right thing and send Barack Obama to the White House. Read John Gage’s article here: Race is one factor in Obama's nonsupport

Behind the Bailout

With all that is happening this week, the economic meltdown of the financial markets, the obscene bailout package recommended by the Bush administration (seemingly and thankfully going down in flames), and the presidential debates beginning last night, I had a hard time sleeping and found myself awake at 5:00 am this morning. While waiting for the coffee the brew, I was lucky enough to stumble on to this excellent documentary on the current financial crisis on the weekly PBS series “NOW”. Titled “Behind the Bailout” it should be required viewing for every union member who wishes to be more informed about the current crisis and the efforts by labor, and in particular the AFL-CIO and Damon Silvers, an associate general counsel at the AFL-CIO, to see that working people in America don’t have to pay the tab for the greed and excesses of the leaders of the financial markets. Having attended the GMP’s Quadrennial convention, I recognized AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka (check this clip from YouTube) who speaks against the bailout package put together by the Bush administration. Watching the documentary it was interesting to observe the efforts of labor and then to see policy change because of those efforts. See the documentary at the NOW website.
While it was exciting to see labor and in particular the AFL-CIO take such an active role in one of the great challenges of our times, it made me sad to again be reminded that my local, GMP #17, remains on the sidelines politically, and has not taken an active role in this crucial presidential election. Senator Barack Obama is a friend of labor, and if elected President will sign the Employee Free Choice Act, which potentially could usher in a golden age for labor, and reverse the anti-labor positions adopted by the Bush administration.