AFL-CIO Leader Tries To Quell Pro-Sanders Revolt

[Purveyor]

Source: Politico

The labor federation’s rules don’t allow its state and local leaders to endorse presidential candidates, Richard Trumka says as the Vermont senator surges.

By Brian Mahoney, 7/3/15 6:34 AM EDT



Richard Trumka has a message for state and local AFL-CIO leaders tempted to endorse Bernie Sanders: Don’t.

In a memo this week to state, central and area divisions of the labor federation, and obtained by POLITICO, the AFL-CIO chief reminded the groups that its bylaws don’t permit them to “endorse a presidential candidate” or “introduce, consider, debate, or pass resolutions or statements that indicate a preference for one candidate over another.” Even “‘personal’ statements” of candidate preference are verboten, Trumka said.

The memo comes amid signs of a growing split between national union leaders — mindful of the fact that Clinton remains the undisputed favorite for the nomination — and local officials and rank and file, who are increasingly drawn to the Democratic Party’s growing progressive wing, for whom Sanders is the latest standard-bearer.

The South Carolina and Vermont AFL-CIOs have passed resolutions supporting Sanders, and some local AFL-CIO leaders in Iowa want to introduce a resolution at their August convention backing the independent senator from Vermont. More than a thousand labor supporters, including several local AFL-CIO-affiliated leaders, have signed on to “Labor for Bernie,” a group calling on national union leaders to give Sanders a shot at an endorsement.





Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/afl-cio-endorsement-2016-democratic-primary-119701.html#ixzz3erFLJMnn

[cloudbase]

1. Hah!

I spent ten years as a delegate to and three years as an executive board member of the Harris County (TX) Labor Council. We endorsed presidential candidates as well as state and local candidates without a word from the national.

[mike_c]

10. I'm in much the same position now....

Gonna be an interesting conversation at this month's CLC meeting. One of our delegates is also the chair of the local Democratic Central Committee, too.

[99th_Monkey]

2. Sadly, a classic case of Labor not acting in it's own self-interest.

Fools.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

20. looks like it

[SoapBox]

26. "Change is coming. Get on board or get out of the way"

Oh YES!

Feel the Bern!

[zentrum]

33. Change is coming. Get on board, or get out of the way. K+1!

[ibewlu606]

4. WTF?

"Dick" is the same idiot who endorsed Bushama 6 months early and look what that asshat did for organized labor. It's time for Dick to go! Working families need a labor leader who will endorse a candidate who cares about the middle-class, not support a Wall St. whore who only cares about the 1%.

[geek tragedy]

5. Bushama? Good lord that's dumb. nt

[ibewlu606]

8. NT

Expansion of warrantless wiretapping, drone strikes personally directed by him, murder of at least two American citizens without trial by jury, a complete failure to hold the financial industry to account for their crimes. If you can't see the similarities, you should reconsider who you call dumb.

[Blue_Tires]

31. Maybe you're on the wrong site, genius...

If you want to blame Obama for everything and pretend he's never done anything for us, then you'll find precious little traction here...

Oh, and by the way, you're trying too hard...

[ibewlu606]

39. Wow!

Why not be done with it and vote for Clinton for more "hope & change". And I used to think Teabaggers were willfully ignorant.

[Blue_Tires]

45. Still trying too hard, genius

You're only sinking yourself...

Go hate on Obama somewhere else...

[BrotherIvan]

12. You should edit that comment

That is a right wing sounding epithet and it has no place here. And I am openly critical of the president's policies that I do not agree with. But that is not necessary.

[jtuck004]

23. That is no worse than Mother Jones or IWW leaders had to say about Gompers. Frankly, in

some of the autobiographies. they called him a lot worse for what they saw as similar behavior in his cozy relationships with bosses at the expense of workers. And for damn sure at the expense of people in the IWW.

[ibewlu606]

24. Thanks!

Thanks Jtuck. Are you a Wobblie? One Big Union!! Right on Sisters and Brothers!

[jtuck004]

32. Oh, jesus in a tote sack, I don't mean it was the right thing to say. I just mean you have

a right to your opinion.

I think BrotherIvan had a point, however. Yelling about wall street whores, true or not, alienates people. It's tough to see how that plays into a philosophy of thinking people should gather in One Big Union.

But I don't think it required editing so much as a thought about what its purpose was. Maybe a little less vitriol and a little more thought, really, about how one might respond if they were a true believer who was working toward One Big Union.

But that may not be your wish, so I don't mean to presume.

[roguevalley]

35. I have yet to hear someone get mad when I yell about wall street whores. Truly. :D

[jtuck004]

36. I know. Kind of sad, actually. Many seem much more interested in American Idle. n/t

[ibewlu606]

38. !

You. Are most definitely NOT a Wobblie.

[jtuck004]

40. You know, and I say this because I care, there are many brands of decaffeinated

coffee that are just as tasty as the real thing.

bye.

[jtuck004]

41. Btw - you should read this by Big Bill Haywood...

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1739856.The_Autobiography_of_Big_Bill_Haywood

When he died he was still trying to figure out what form the IWW should take, having rejected socialism and communism and capitalism - they were trying to find a new way, according to his words.

On the other hand, it sounds as if you think you may have it all figure out now. How fortunate for them. Good luck.

[restorefreedom]

6. more desperation from the corporate masters

i don't believe for a second this guy has the interests of the workers in mind. he is fighting to preserve the status quo.

which bernie's gonna rip into tiny little pieces

[antigop]

25. "he is fighting to preserve the status quo." -- yep. nt

[RufusTFirefly]

7. Historically, national leadership has frequently been at odds with union locals

The national union leadership likes to take credit for landmark strikes, for example, when the truth is that a number of historic actions (e.g. the Minneapolis Teamsters strike of 1934) were called in defiance of the national leadership.

[donnasgirl]

9. Fred Flintstone

Does not speak for anyone we know, all over the Country people are waking up to the Political Machinery and are rejecting them in mass.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. Trumka is correct, AFL-CIO endorsements are not autonomous nor driven by leadership

An endorsement from AFL-CIO it triggered by endorsements coming from the affiliated Unions and the various AFL-CIO officials are supposed to wait for and honor those Unions and their memberships. AFL-CIO itself does not always endorse in Primaries and only does so when there is a clear choice among the various Unions which comprise AFL-CIO. There are rules every cycle and those rules do not allow AFL officials to endorse in advance of the Unions for whom they work.

[BrotherIvan]

13. I'm surprised

After the TPP, one would think that unions wouldn't stick with conservatives. Guess "access" is more ipmortant than the jobs and wellbeing of its membership. I hope they defy him and replace him if necessary. Unions need to act now or they will be obliterated.

[Bluenorthwest]

14. That's a misunderstanding of what he is saying. AFL-CIO is not a Union it is an affililation of

Unions. Endorsements by AFL-CIO leadership and officials are supposed to be prompted only by voting membership, that is the officials at AFL-CIO are not supposed to endorse the membership is. The various affiliated Unions hold their own votes on endorsing as they see fit, and they endorse as they see fit. If a clear majority of affiliated Unions is supporting a single candidate, AFL-CIO can then endorse that candidate. Without a clear majority among the affiliates a 2/3 vote of the membership on endorsing a candidate is generally required, all of this is before the officials and leadership national or State can endorse.
It's not their job to endorse, it's the job of the affiliated Unions and the members of those Unions and this is a bit early in the process so that has not yet played out.

[murielm99]

17. No one is listening to you.

Many unions and other types of affiliations do not endorse before the primaries. Pressuring them to do so is wrong.

You are going to be swarmed by people who perceive this story as anti-Bernie. Good luck.

[Bluenorthwest]

19. I'm a long time member of AFL-CIO affiliated Unions, this is not anti-Bernie in the least it is

about protecting the voice of the membership by following the rules and the process. I posted links to the process and timeline which was in place a year ago.

I tell you who is anti-Bernie, that's Politico. And that's why they spin it this way with photo editorial as lurid as their copy.

[murielm99]

21. You are right about politico.

I am surprised anyone uses it as a source here on DU. It has always been suspect.

[jtuck004]

15. On the other hand, they could walk away from you and go with someone who wants to

work with them, instead of the owner$.

[NorthCarolina]

16. Somebody obviously put the pressure on him....

but who?

[Enthusiast]

27. Who would do such a thing?

[Bluenorthwest]

18. Politico sucks. Here are the AFL-CIO Endorsement Process and timeline announced July 2014

Read it.
http://www.aflcio.org/About/Exec-Council/EC-Statements/Endorsement-Process-and-Timeline

Here is similar material from 2007 to get more context.

http://www.aflcio.org/About/Exec-Council/EC-Statements/AFL-CIO-Presidential-Endorsement-Process

[blackspade]

22. Trumka had better be careful.

He could be fracturing the AFL-CIO if he ignores the state and locals.

[Jack Rabbit]

28. Mellow out, Mr. Trumka, just go with the flow

Bernie's inevitable.

[Thespian2]

29. Does Richard Trumka speak for all the AFL-CIO members?

I hope not. Since Ray-gun, unions have lost their influence in national politics...from watching union leaders for years, I surmise that Trumka represents only the affluent members of the unions...

[Spitfire of ATJ]

30. It's bad for Hillary to be linked to Trumka. He's seen as a sellout.

[davidpdx]

42. I have no doubt that at the beginning of the primaries the unions are going to all back Clinton

Should they? No. Are they smart enough to vote in their best interest? We'll see

All it will take is a meeting with Bill who will go in and give them the big speech and promise them the world if they endorse Hillary.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

43. The local unions are backing Bernie which is why Trumka's bloomers are in a wad.

[davidpdx]

46. Bernie needs them too

But my thinking is never underestimate the Clintons and what they have the power to do.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

47. True,....wonder if Trumka has been offered Secretary of Labor.

[Starry Messenger]

34. That headline is clickbait.

I guess they thought they had to dress up some pretty boring reports about paperwork to make it sound controversial.

Like Bluenorthwest said, this is the same process the Federation has had in place.

[2banon]

37. Wait. What? Isn't this the same guy who personally made an endorsement back in 2008 ?

or am I mis-remembering?

Seems like I remember he was freshly elected as head of AFL-CIO during the 2008 POTUS campaign.

[lsufan59]

44. afl-cio

I am a registered member of the international brother hood of teamsters and i back bernie because i feel the bern.