Union Members Seem To Want Bernie Sanders Over Hillary Clinton. Will Labor Leadership Follow Them?

[eridani]

http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/18307/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-unions-afl-cio

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has emerged as the most outspoken pro-labor candidate in the 2016 Democratic primary. With his introduction of federal $15 minimum wage legislation and his frequent targeting of Walmart’s Walton family in his stump speech, Sanders has his finger on the pulse of the some of the most vibrant and large-scale economic-justice movements in decades. That stands in stark contrast to the front runner, Hillary Clinton, who’s been mum on $15 and is a former Walmart board member.

As Bloomberg labor reporter Josh Eidelson recently reported, there also exists a widespread “dissatisfaction or distrust” toward Clinton among AFL-CIO local and state leaders in the key early-primary state of Iowa over her promotion of the unpopular Trans-Pacific Partnership. The trade agreement is largely deemed by labor to be corporate-driven and has been likened to 1994’s North American Free Trade Agreement for its potential to drive down wages and decimate jobs. Clinton has recently begun condemning the deal, but some doubt her new stance. Sanders, on the other hand, has consistently opposed the TPP, describing it and similar trade policies as a “disaster” for the American worker.

His muscular rhetoric on the issue, among others, explains the grassroots support among rank-and-file union members that has manifested as Labor for Bernie, a political network of workers pushing their unions to endorse Sanders. A public letter released by the organization urging unions to endorse Sanders has attracted the signatures of over 5,000 union members around the country.

While the AFL-CIO rarely makes an endorsement during the primary season, endorsements from its 56 national affiliates and other major unions are expected to trickle in between now and the 2016 primaries. The endorsement process in most unions, however, is far from democratic, as union officials rather than rank-and-file members are the ones who hold most influence over such questions. In such an environment, and against the gleam of Clinton’s name recognition and significant lead, the question for Sanders’ union backers seems to be how much bottom-up agitation can win unions to the Vermont Senator’s side.

[bigdarryl]

1. No necessarily in fact a lot of union members are republicans

I know that for a fact because as a State Correction Officer of NJ my union the PBA a lot of those guys I worked with were republicans.Look what happened in Wisconsin during the recall a lot of those union workers voted to keep Walker in office.

[Robbins]

2. Nope

Union leadership is detminded In a lot of unions to endorse Hillary.

In GD-P I took hits for calling union that endorsed Hillary stupid.I'm not a politician so i don't have to be delicate on my feelings.

Unions and working people are being called by these free trade deals.Clintons have never seen a free trade deal they didn't like since they are so tight with wall street.From nafta to TPP.

Bill Clinton has defended corporations moving HQ overseas to avoid paying taxes.

Is it such a radical thought to say corporate dems like hillary are killing Unions.Obama Is In same catergry as her.

The unions have choice with a real pro-union candiate and if they don't take it they are stupid.

[TheFarS1de]

3. They can endorse who they like ...

but the members will vote the way they want regardless of what the Union heads think . Maybe the members need to look for new leadership just like every voter is . The membership ultimately has the power . The status quo is not just residing in politics and this type of self defeating behaviour towards their own membership may blow up in their faces .

Time will tell .

[Divernan]

4. Union endorsements used to mean votes & GOTV workers & donations from members

Not any more. Actually, HRC doesn't need or count on any piddly little donations from union members, "piddly" as compared to her $2700 + contributions from her Conversations w/ Hillary guests & from management level employees at Big Banks, Wall Street, Hedge Funds, etc.

When Union leadership panders their endorsements to her without polling their members, those endorsements do not translate into votes or campaign/election workers - As one can readily see when reading the comments by rank and file members following union endorsements of HRC.