:: rawblogXport ::

:: Thursday, February 12, 2004 ::

AFL-CIO Unions Uniting Behind Kerry LaborTalk by Harry Kelber
By mid-March, a unified labor movement, committed to defeating President Bush, will be preparing to supply Kerry with legions of volunteers and bundles of cash. But what role will organized labor play in his election campaign?

Will the Democratic Party platform contain policy positions favored by unions? Will labor have a voice in choosing Kerry's running mate? Will union leaders be included among the top-level strategists of the campaign?

These are not exorbitant demands, considering that Kerry would find it virtually impossible to be elected president without the support of the labor movement. In the 2000 elections, the votes of union households represented more than 30% of the total votes cast.

If unions do not assert their rights, it is inevitable that Kerry will move to the right, in the belief that he has the labor vote in his pocket. He will tend to downplay labor issues, such as freedom to join unions, in order to avoid the Republican charge that he is the 'captive of Big Labor.'

Kerry has had his differences with the Teamsters and construction unions over his opposition to oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He has yet to speak out publicly in favor of Senator Edward Kennedy's Employee Free Choice Act or discuss workplace issues like health and safety and the elimination of overtime pay for millions of workers.

It is imperative that unions and their members do everything they can to defeat President Bush, but they also are entitled to at least some benefits that come with victory.

posted 6:42 AM :: reference link :: 0 comments ::

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