Washington State's largest labor union endorses 'uncommitted' over Biden

[Omaha Steve]

Source: MSN-NBC NEWS

Story by Alex Seitz-Wald • 2h

The biggest labor union in Washington State endorsed voting “uncommitted” in the state’s Democratic presidential primary next month, citing concerns about President Joe Biden’s political strength and his support for Israel’s war in Gaza.

The Washington chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers has over 50,000 members, making it the largest chapter in the nation of that union. The deeply Democratic West Coast state holds its primary on March 12.

In a statement shared first with NBC News after its executive board voted Wednesday night on the endorsement, the Washington union called Biden “an ally to workers over the last four years,” but suggested it is not confident in his ability to defeat likely GOP nominee Donald Trump in November.

“Currently, many voters, and UFCW 3000 executive board, feel that the best path to have the best nominee, and to defeat Trump, is to vote ‘uncommitted,’” the union said in the statement. “The hope is that this will strengthen the Democratic party’s ultimate nominee to defeat Trump in the General Election in November.”

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/washington-state-s-largest-labor-union-endorses-uncommitted-over-biden/ar-BB1j7qyN

[Happy Hoosier]

1. "defeat Trump" Sure. Dumbasses.

Last edited Thu Feb 29, 2024, 11:35 PM - Edit history (1)

I'm becoming resigned to the fact that some elements of my party iate incapable of understanding basic political realities. And they will cause us to lose in November. And we'll all suffer.

I hope they will be fucking satisfied. They'll have really shown us, but good. My daugher's rights will be eliminated to satisfy their desire to "send a message"

FUCK. THEM.

[Walleye]

3. It's like every generation has to learn the lesson over again. Remember how we got Nixon

[Mz Pip]

42. And how we got Trump

Remember Jill Stein? She peeled off enough votes in Michigan to give it to Trump.

When will we ever learn?

This is not the time to be cute.

[moonshinegnomie]

15. i still remember teh never hillary crowd in 2016

i know someone that hard core anti hillary for reason. i told him she wasnt my first choice but she was a hell of a lot better than the maniac. just due to judges and the supreme court

he said i was fooling myself,how bad could he be. and he didnt vote that year....

moron

[Farmer-Rick]

58. You would think they would have learned

People who were in the "No Hillary" crowd have not changed. Many of them are now in the "No Democrats" crowd. I understand that sometimes the Democratic party is it's own worse enemy, especially when fighting criminals and crooks.

But damn, learn a lesson or 2 from what happened when the stinking Nazi won last time. Our Democratic party is the only one left that's not completely corrupted and Not anti democracy.

Maybe they could have learned a lesson when Raygun told the Air Traffic Control Union to go ahead and strike, Ronnie had their backs.....and they, and other Unions, voted for him. And the weasel busted up the Unions into tiny little pieces the moment he got his foot in the door.

Does this Union really think the Stinking Nazi is going to be fair with them or will he just pull another Reagan???? Someone in the executive suite of that Union is on the take.

[betsuni]

49. +1

[Mr.Bill]

2. We need to keep pointing out

that President Biden is the only person on Earth that has already beaten Trump in a presidential election, and he will do it again.

[samnsara]

55. bunch of whiners......we KNOW who is behind this in wash state

[brooklynite]

60. We do?

Car to share?

[nowforever]

4. Stupid

Unhinged and clueless. Clearly some GOP operative is behind this.

[highplainsdem]

5. Foolish.

[PortTack]

19. Very! Especially considering the nation's largest union UAW has endorsed President Biden

[kimbutgar]

6. So the union is going to vote agains the President who has done more labor than any member of the repuke party?

And a war in another country he’s responsible for ? this is bs and this union leader is probably a maggot!

[Grokenstein]

8. This is the point in the discussion where someone will carry on about

how Biden "betrayed" labor by cutting off the railway strike instead of allowing the nation to be crippled by it.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-biden-signs-bill-creating-labor-agreement-for-railway-workers

Members in four of the 12 unions involved rejected the proposed contract, creating the risk of a strike beginning Dec. 9 that the government has likely staved off with the bill signing. A freight rail strike also would have a big potential impact on passenger rail, with Amtrak and many commuter railroads relying on tracks owned by the freight railroads. The president has said that a strike would have sunk the U.S. economy, causing roughly 750,000 job losses as the work stoppage ruptured supply chains for basic goods, food and the chemicals needed to ensure clean drinking water. Rising prices already have many Americans afraid of a coming downturn, but the U.S. job market has been steady. The government reported Friday that employers added 263,000 jobs in November as the unemployment rate held at 3.7%.

Though Biden is a staunch union ally, he said the rail order was necessary to prevent a strike. The Biden administration helped broker deals between the railroads and union leaders in September, but four of the unions rejected the deals. Eight others approved five-year deals and all 12 are getting back pay for their workers for the 24% raises that are retroactive to 2020.

But the absence of a meaningful increase in paid sick leave and other quality-of-life issues was a key concern for many union members whose votes were required for the settlement. The railroads say the unions have agreed in negotiations over the decades to forgo paid sick time in favor of higher wages and strong short-term disability benefits. Union members say railroads could afford the paid leave given their profit margins. House Democrats narrowly adopted a measure to add seven days of paid sick leave to the tentative agreement, but that change fell eight votes shy of the 60-vote threshold needed for Senate passage.

[PortTack]

20. You don't always get what you want...when will they learn??!!

[TygrBright]

7. Labor unions have historically been expert at shitting in their own punchbowl. n/t

[cilla4progress]

9. Our mideast policy

needs to change.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. That will for sure happen under Trump.

Just don't think it will be the way you and others will like. I know I won't.

[BlueKota]

16. Remember back in 2016 when one of Donny's

campaign staff suggested detainment camps for Muslims? Admittedly my memory isn't what it used to be, but I sure remember that. Whoever thinks things will be better for Muslims, the Jewish, and anyone who isn't a member of Donny's preferred group and cult, hasn't been and still aren't paying attention.

[Behind the Aegis]

17. Lots of noseless assholes running around right now...

....let's hope it doesn't translate to slitting the throat of American Democracy!

[SunSeeker]

11. Idiots. How the fuck will this "strengthen the Democratic nominee"?!

Biden will be the Democratic nominee. It is years too late to switch horses. There is nobody viable to switch to. People need to get real. We need to get behind Biden if we want to defeat Trump.

[Kennah]

12. There are a lot of young, inexperienced, idealistic people getting involved in labor

Failure to understand basic politics, while sticking to absolutist positions, is the problem

[PortTack]

21. Yup...I got 85-90% of what I wanted in the last contract....but. STUPID!!

Who is this frump loving person that thinks President Biden won’t beat tfg….pleaz. Crawl back under your rock idiot!

[hadEnuf]

23. Or they are simply right-wing infiltrators looking to destroy from inside.

[Kennah]

29. No. I see it firsthand here in Washington State.

To be clear, there are RWers in labor, but their participation honestly baffles me. I mean, if you were born in a log cabin that you built yourself, then why would you EVER agree to take a job or remain in a job with Union Representation. That sounds like Communism.

Bob Ferguson, our current AG, is running for Governor. His principal opponent is Dave Reichert. It's going to be a tough fight. Within my local, we were contacted by Bob's campaign for a breakfast event, and we voted no. It wasn't RWers. It was left-wing moonbats who couldn't navigate well enough to keep from crashing into the walls. Some will bluntly say, "I don't know much about politics," but they are applying political purity tests because Bob isn't perfect. No, he's not. There are things I disagree with him about, but on labor and worker issues, he's pretty damned good. Dave Reichert is a nightmare.

[wolfie001]

30. I'll counter that with a lot of older white workers that are republicans

I worked in a Union shop for many years and most of the jackassed, anti-Union workers were white, older republicans. Fox viewers.

[Kennah]

32. No argument. I see it myself.

[angrychair]

13. I'm done

Tuesday is super Tuesday and the vast majority of delegates will be awarded. There is no other viable candidate.
Anyone that wanted to run had the opportunity. Others are running. They got 2.7% of the vote in Michigan. The lost by over 75 points.

Screw these people. The WA state Democratic Party needs to blacklist them and shut them out of all events.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. I do not have kind words for this union.

[AnrothElf]

18. Fuck those morons.

They can eat shit.

[DENVERPOPS]

43. Ask them

if trump wins, just how long do you think your Union will last.?????????? You would think they are intelligent enough to understand that Trump and Republicans will obliterate their union, and it will never exist again......Along with all government unions, and the postal union.......

[hadEnuf]

22. What the fuck kind of babble is that? Vote uncommitted to strengthen the Democratic party?

Hey morons, you help Trump win and your union will cease to exist.

Then again, maybe that's what the "officials" peddling this shit want to happen.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

24. Say what??????????????

What have they been smoking? As a union member for 17 years, union delegate and bargaining team member for 6 contract negotiations for the union I was in (SEIU 1199NW) this is a mind blower. Maybe it's related to age? I'm on my 70's. Younger union members, I guess, see things differently. if they are really concerned about Biden's ability to win, they should work for him to get re-elected....... in my opinion.

[ificandream]

25. My wife and son are past and present members ...

... and what a shame. I don't know what the union thinks they'll get out of Trump that would be good for their members that Biden wouldn't do for them.

In other words, nothing.

Democrats have always been much more pro-union than Democrats. Look what Biden himself has done in walking picket lines.

This is soooooooooooooooooooooooooo short-sighted.

Remember, too, this is just for the primary. I sincerely doubt they'll follow this in the fall. But why start now?

[Lovie777]

26. Pres. Biden will be ok...........................

Democracy, at least they have a choice.

[tazkcmo]

27. That makes no sense at all.

“The hope is that this will strengthen the Democratic party’s ultimate nominee to defeat Trump in the General Election in November.”

Strengthen the ultimate nominee, President Biden, by not voting for...President Biden...in the Primary?

Must be that new math.

[LiberalFighter]

28. What does Israel's war in Gaza have to do with labor issues?

[LeftInTX]

57. It's Washington. Many far left groups are into protesting.

Everyone picks on Texas, but every once in a while the far left just goes too far.
OK, I said it!

[LudwigPastorius]

31. There isn't some young, pretty candidate coming to "save the day" and crush Trump.

Joe Biden is an incumbent president, and one of the best ones in my lifetime. He will be the Democratic candidate, so the UFCW 3000 board needs to get behind him.

I'd tell them, the president of your union is just 13 years younger than Joe Biden. Maybe you should get rid of him!

[SouthernDem4ever]

33. I don't get the logic

And I don't think the UFCW 3000 does either.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

34. Another group of idiots

Who's standing by if it isn't Biden? There is no one.

On edit: As a resident of Washington State their stance will not affect the outcome of the primary nor the general election.

The last time Washington went Republican was 1984.

[LeftInTX]

35. This started with Michigan

Knew it was bad. Guess they're gonna support Jill Stein

[DENVERPOPS]

44. You mean Jill Stein

the Russian Agent????????/

[Botany]

36. Didn't President Biden walk the picket line w/the U.A.W. last summer?

Something no sitting President has ever done? And this group of Chuckle Nuts want to
lodge a protest against him in the primary? No doubt the union is getting a little Russian
misinformation via social media and outlets like Fox.

Btw not only is Joe doing the best job as POTUS I have ever seen he offers the very best
chance of not only beating Trump but burying him by 100,000,00 votes if Trump hasn’t
fled the country by then.

Some People

[Blue Idaho]

37. Fuck this shit.

So the next time a labor union asks for our support can we say we are undecided?

Part of me wishes they get Trump in the Oval Office who will gut the unions and turn everyone into at will employees. Why do I think this has more to do with GQP dirty tricks than any sincere wish to “send a message” to Democratic leadership. Man - I am furious!

[SouthernDem4ever]

54. I feel the same way when I read this bullsh#$

I have been a union member for 46 years and have been watching this stupid, self-destructive behavior for a long time. They are really trying to put the finishing nails in their coffin.

[ColinC]

38. Idiots

[cab67]

39. to hell with this labor union.

I'm sorry, but as much as I support labor unions (having belonged to them myself), this is a foolish attitude.

[Orrex]

40. So they're voting for Trump, in other words.

[CapnSteve]

41. Biden will be our nominee. What a luxury...

...to be in a nice liberal state where you can stage these performative protests from the left side of the Democratic Party!

It is a far different experience for those of us engaged in the long struggle for justice and reason in a state under MAGA occupation.

- CapnSteve, reporting from the center of the liberal majority in Texas and a proud member of the Fort Bend AFT (AFL-CIO Local 6198)

[orleans]

45. very irresponsible and short sighted nt

[NBachers]

46. If these god damn assholes are going to god damn me to hell, I'll god damn them right to fucking hell their own asses.

[OhioTim]

47. After Super Tuesday

Biden and Trump will be the nominees. There will be no uncommitted choice on the November ballot.

[Layzeebeaver]

48. absolute fools.

what are they expecting to accomplish.

better to support dems and Biden as a priority - and then establish a proper dialogue. not one based only on tacit communications.

[Oopsie Daisy]

50. FOOLS! FUCKING IDIOTS!

[betsuni]

51. As a person from Washington State I say:

IDIOTS.

[bucolic_frolic]

52. I wonder how much of a problem hourly workers are

Two retailers i visit the workers are abuzz with anti-Biden talk. Customers can't miss it. These people are dumb, but juiced about inflation.

[purr-rat beauty]

53. Ok

Stop giving contracts to war mongering profiteers who are making bank from Israel.

that'll send a message to unions that this government keeps many of their employers propped up.

[CousinIT]

56. "we aren't confident Biden can defeat Trump and we're going to ensure he can't by..."

"....stupidly promoting another non-existent Democratic candidate"

DUMB.

[Raven123]

59. Members need new leadership or a different union

Clearly these folks can’t count. If they believe fewer votes for Biden will help defeat TFG, they lack basic math skills