Obamacare Opens For Business, Shuts Out Labor

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.labornotes.org/2013/08/obamacare-opens-business-shuts-out-labor

August 01, 2013 / Jenny Brown

When the Obama administration announced July 2 that it would give a breather to employers affected by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), angry unionists noticed a pattern.

Even before this delay, “every corporate interest that’s asked for regulatory relief has gotten it,” said Mark Dudzic, chair of the Labor Campaign for Single Payer, “but the concerns of union plans have been overridden.”

The requirement that employers provide health insurance or pay a fine will be postponed till January 2015 or later.



Unions pushed hard for health care reform, finally settling for a half-measure in the Affordable Care Act. Employers are responding to the law by lowering benefits to match its floor. Photo: Neil Parekh, SEIU Healthcare 775NW. - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/2013/08/obamacare-opens-business-shuts-out-labor#sthash.mXkHDASo.dpuf


“Looks like ordinary workers will be forced to pay for health insurance on the original schedule [starting January 2014], while big business is off the hook for at least a year,” said Chris Townsend, political director of the United Electrical Workers (UE). - See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/2013/08/obamacare-opens-business-shuts-out-labor#sthash.mXkHDASo.dpuf

FULL story at link.

[Fumesucker]

1. Stakeholder vs non-stakeholders, it's really quite simple n/t

[Egalitarian Thug]

2. Is anyone really surprised by this?

We all know who this administration listens to, and more importantly, to whom they don't.


& R

[Rex]

3. One of the dumbest things he did was let the crooks

and banksters decide his cabinet picks. He practically lets the rest of us know that Wall Street runs the WH. Then again, he seems just fine with a plutocracy in place.

[Egalitarian Thug]

5. Totally agreed, but not dumb. He is the current definition of a fifth column.

Ignore everything he has ever said and just look at what he's both done and refused to do. It shows a crystal clear picture of what he is all about.

[Rex]

6. I gave him a chance, but watched him dash my hopes

that he would not be a corporate suit as BP completely destroyed countless miles of coastline. He didn't even bat an eyelash, just told BP to do whatever they wanted. It is shameful to this day imo.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

15. One of the dumbest things? A smart person in his position might be planning a retirement package.

[Egalitarian Thug]

25. Exactly. I can't remember who it was that originally said it, but wanting to

be the President (or any position of great authority), should be an automatic disqualification from ever having that power.

We just love to cling to the fantasy of some hero saving the day. I fell for it myself in 2008.

[SharonAnn]

41. I remember that idea was in a science fiction book. Might've been an Isaac Asimov boo.

[Egalitarian Thug]

47. Very possible. Science Fiction is one of my favorite genres and both Asimov and

Clark are well represented in my library.

[Babel_17]

52. Heinlein said something

IIRC it was that the President should be drafted, kicking and screaming, into service and only released from his duty because of good behavior.

[reusrename]

48. To be perfectly honest, I think Obama did save the day in 2008.

Remembering those times, I did not have any hope of preventing a first-strike nuclear attack on Iran. To me it was a foregone conclusion. We were literally minutes away on at least two occasions prior to his election.

Electing Obama changed the world. I watched it happen.

That being said, his first act as president, closing Gitmo by keeping it open, proved that many things remained exactly the same.

[Rex]

46. HA!

True, didn't think of that at all!

[Plucketeer]

44. We sing the same tune!

He's given us change we can believe in, but not change that benefits we wee ones.

[City Lights]

8. Doesn't surprise me.

Still saddens me, though.

[kenny blankenship]

4. First they came for the pensions, then they exported manufacturing, now they are liquidating health

benefits - which everyone took for a generation in lieu of a raise.
Obamacare is just the logical progression of the series begun in 1980.

[Hydra]

7. Yup

Dismantling the workers down to bare pay. Expect overtime to go away at some point too.

[TheKentuckian]

16. Hence, the "comp time" push.

Sure, it is mostly TeaPubliKlans now but the Turd Way will pick it up with great gusto as soon as the TeaPubliKlans can hold their rabble and openly call for a complete end to the practice.

[liberal_at_heart]

17. yeah, the Third Way will pretty much just go along with whatever the republicans propose.

If they were to replace minimum wage with comp time I'm sure there wouldn't be much of a fight from most democrats.

[forestpath]

9. Election's over, they don't have to pretend to care about Labor anymore.

[Enthusiast]

32. Nailed it.....nt

[progressoid]

10. That's one depressing, frustrating, and angering article.

[Skittles]

11. wasn't that the whole point?

[Safetykitten]

12. After reading that...freaking nightmare this is.

[liberal_at_heart]

13. labor doesn't have enough money to buy politicians.

[Tiredofthesame]

53. I think they do,

But the politician has to be bought. Three of the top 10 agencies contributing to lobbying groups today are union groups. While 33 percent is still a huge disadvantage in lobbyist spending, I would say there is enough money to buy politicians. Didn't buy Obama though. Sure as hell helped greatly in getting him elected though.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

14. Why not. Nothing from this Administration surprises me anymore.

[bvar22]

18. Aside from Lip Service during elections,

the White House doesn't care too much for people that have to Work for a Living.
In fact, they ridicule and Spurn Organized LABOR at every opportunity.

Candidate Obama made several very specific promises to LABOR during Campaign 2008:

*He promised to "immediately Re-Negotiate NAFTA" to protect the wages and benefits of American Workers.

*He promised to "make EFCA the Law of the Land".

*He promised to put on his comfortable shoes and Walk the Line with striking workers that were denied the right of forming a UNION.

These promises hit the trash can on Day ONE of his administration never to be mentioned AGAIN. (I have the Video if anyone doubts he made these promises).

*The 2012 Democratic Convention was held in a Right to Work for Less State at a Non-Union venue built by minimum wage Non-Union labor.

...but the [font size=3]Insult to Organized LABOR that I can NOT forgive[/font] happened in the Arkansas Democratic Primary of 2010.

The Arkansas Democratic Primary was a heart breaking eye opener for the Grass Roots and Organized LABOR. We were given a Look Behind the Curtain,
and it wasn't very pretty.

[font size=3]We did EVERYTHING right in Arkansas in 2010.
We did EXACTLY what the White House asked us to do to "give the President Progressives in Congress that would work with him."[/font]

We organized and supported Lt Governor Bill Halter, the Pro-LABOR/ Pro-Health Care challenger to DINO Blanche Lincoln, who was CAMPAIGNING as the Woman who Killed the Public Option!!!

The Pro-LABOR, Pro-Healthcare Democratic Challenger to Blanche Lincoln,
Lt Gov. Bill Halter was:

* Polling BETTER against the Republicans in the General,

*was popular in Arkansas in his OWN right,

*had an Up & Running Political machine,

* had a track record of winning elections (Lt. Governor)

*Had the full backing of Organized LABOR and The Grass Roots activists

*was handing Blanche her Anti-LABOR ass in The Primary until the White House stepped in

*Blanche had NO chance of winning the General in Arkansas

Guess what happened.
.
.
.
.
Our BIGGEST enemy to bringing "change" to The Senate was NOT The "Obstructionist" Republicans.
NO!
Our BIGGEST enemy to bringing "change" to The Senate was The Obama White House!

The White House stepped in at the last minute to rescue Blanche's failing primary campaign with an Oval Office Endorsement of The Witch that Wrecked the Obama Agenda,
and Bill Clinton was dispatched on a Campaign Tour for Blanche around the state bashing Organized LABOR and "Liberals" at every opportunity.

"The Arkansas primary fight illuminates some unpleasant though vital truths about the Democratic establishment "

"So what did the Democratic Party establishment do when a Senator who allegedly impedes their agenda faced a primary challenger who would be more supportive of that agenda? They engaged in full-scale efforts to support Blanche Lincoln. Bill Clinton traveled to Arkansas to urge loyal Democrats to vote for her, bashing liberal groups for good measure. Obama recorded an ad for Lincoln which, among other things, were used to tell African-American primary voters that they should vote for her because she works for their interests. The entire Party infrastructure lent its support and resources to Lincoln — a Senator who supposedly prevents Democrats from doing all sorts of Wonderful, Progressive Things which they so wish they could do but just don’t have the votes for.

<snip>

What happened in this race also gives the lie to the insufferable excuse we’ve been hearing for the last 18 months from countless Obama defenders: namely, if the Senate doesn’t have 60 votes to pass good legislation, it’s not Obama’s fault because he has no leverage over these conservative Senators. It was always obvious what an absurd joke that claim was; the very idea of The Impotent, Helpless President, presiding over a vast government and party apparatus, was laughable. But now, in light of Arkansas, nobody should ever be willing to utter that again with a straight face. Back when Lincoln was threatening to filibuster health care if it included a public option, the White House could obviously have said to her: if you don’t support a public option, not only will we not support your re-election bid, but we’ll support a primary challenger against you. Obama’s support for Lincoln did not merely help; it was arguably decisive, as The Washington Post documented today:"

<much more>

http://www.salon.com/2010/06/10/lincoln_6/

When the supporters of Pro-LABOR Lt Gov Bill Halter asked the White House WHY they threw their support behind Lincoln at the last minute, rescuing her failing campaign, the answer was ridicule and insults to Organized LABOR and the Grass Roots.

Ed Schultz sums up my feeling perfectly in the following clip.
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/ed-schultz-if-it-wasnt-labor-barack-obama-
(If you doubt my words, PLEASE watch the above Video.)

I was there in Arkansas, working for "CHANGE"
when I saw the first Oval Office Endorsement TV Campaign Ad by President Obama SUPPORTING Blanche Lincoln.
It is BURNED into my mind.
I KNEW then.

Us Union Thugs take an ass whipping from time to time,
[font size=3]but we NEVER forget a Sucker Punch & WHO Threw it.[/font]
We're ALL Fired Up for 2014 and 2016!
You will know them by their [font size=3]WORKS.[/font]



[font color=firebrick size=3][center]"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone[/font][/center]
[center][/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]

[font size=5 color=firebrick]Solidarity![/font]

[liberal_at_heart]

19. fantastic post. This needs to be its own OP!

[Hydra]

20. Here on DU, something rather amazing has happened

We are told to ignore all evidence that the President does not like the Left and support him no matter what he does...or the Repubs will win.

We've seen time after time that the President is fascinated by RW ideas, and finds ours to be rather boring and not worth supporting. Why look at the evidence though?

[zeemike]

21. Yep that is a good way to put it

A sucker punch to labor.

[cherokeeprogressive]

23. ^^^^THIS^^^^

[SMC22307]

26. Wow. I need a cigarette after that.

[Zorra]

30. The Third Way is a third party. They are definitely not Democrats. nt

[Le Taz Hot]

33. I've been trying to get attention to this problem

for what seems like forever. A couple of days ago I wrote a thread addressing two problems with the Primary System and ONE of those was the interference of the Democratic Party in the primaries. Theoretically, they're supposed to stay out of it but too many times, they interfere and we either end up with a DINO (Lincoln) or the Real Republicans beats out Republican-Lite (D).

Look at Hillary. She'll have the full party machine and everything that comes with it straight out of the chute. No one's even thrown their hat in the ring but all Democratic resources will be thrown her way. They don't mind if others run but they'll stack everything they have against the contenders that aren't, shall we say, pliable. They'll starve the campaigns, they'll lock them out of the debates and, if they get too close, take out ads against them (as did Kerry, Gebhardt and Edwards in 2004 against Dean). If they're STILL too close, well, some diversion will have to given, something like a "Scream."

So many on this board believe the Republicans are the enemy. It's YOUR OWN PARTY that is the real enemy. The Republicans are just the opponents. They're supposed to obstruct. That's their job. But when you have to fight YOUR OWN PARTY to get anyone even slightly to the left of Obama/Reagan, there is something terribly, terribly wrong.

[blackspade]

35. excellent post.

[KoKo]

36. Thanks for memory refresh of the Blanch Lincoln support...a first eye opener

of what was to come.

[Catherina]

39. +1000000 n/t

[cantbeserious]

42. Plus Infinity

eom

[WillyT]

45. + 1,000,000,000... What You Said !!! - K & R !!!

[navarth]

50. kick for visibility

[blackspade]

22. shocking....

NOT!

[TransitJohn]

24. Chess Move®, you never loved him, you're a racist Paul-loving libertarian, yadda yadda

take your pick.

[aquart]

27. Yeah. I kinda wish he had more real work experience.

His identification is all managerial.

[burnodo]

28. where are the ACA defenders?

[demosincebirth]

29. That's why he appointed pro labor members to the NLRB

[madrchsod]

31. half assed programs result in half assed results

it`s a step in the right direct but the timeline is way to long.

[Little Star]

34. k&r

[KoKo]

37. Recommend...

[Autumn]

38. Recommended and bookmarked.

[cantbeserious]

40. Obama - Protecting Corporations At Every Turn - Protecting Americans Not Part Of His Plan

eom

[Harmony Blue]

43. So what is next?

what will Labor choose to do?

[javanculus]

51. Does it matter?

Back in 1980 I gave up on my fellow steel workers because they stubbornly voted war and race. When I went back to college my professors and fellow students were more concerned than they were about workers' issues. This was nationwide. Factory workers helped vote out good progressive democrats in favor of anti-labor republicans, including Reagan. White working class, especially rurals and Southerners, still tend Republican. So I'd say they made their bed. Both parties hold them in contempt. Maybe one day they'll get scared and angry enough to pay attention, unite, fight and sacrifice for workers rather than guns, God and race. If they do then maybe someone will listen to them. Or maybe they won't. Third Way, anyone?

[sabrina 1]

49. Maybe they've learned never to give in when fighting for your rights. I remember being so

disappointed in the Unions during this whole debacle. THEIR biggest mistake was to accept 'half measures'.

They shouldn't be surprised.

[bonniebgood]

54. Thank you bvar22#18 and LE TAZHot #33 my first clue was

Acorn (who works their butts off for this president) was defunded by majority dem house and senate and signed by president obama. Icing on the cake, the firing Van Jones. I have never listen to him again. As it turns out the HAMP program was designed for the Banks not people losing their home. Oh yea, if you have a heart failure (broken heart) for stress of losing your home, at least you can get health (watered down) insurance. Sarcasm!. Third Way? How about a Third Party.