AFL-CIO on Specter's No Vote: 'A Rebuke to Working People'
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney just released a statement responding to Sen. Arlen Specter's (R-PA) announcement that he would oppose the labor-backed Employee Free Choice Act -- and the labor chief isn't backing down from the "death blow" framing that's already being applied to today's news.
In fact, Sweeney's remarks are all the more cutting because of their high-minded commitment to keep amassing support for the Employee Free Choice measure, which is labor's No. 1 priority for the year and would broadly ease union-organizing rules. No matter how you look at it, Specter can forget about getting the state AFL-CIO's endorsement for the second straight election cycle.
Sweeney's full statement is posted after the jump.
Today's announcement by Sen. Specter - a sponsor of the original Employee Free Choice Act who voted for cloture in 2007 - is frankly a disappointment and a rebuke to working people, to his own constituents in Pennsylvania and working families around the country.The fact is the Employee Free Choice Act has more support than ever -
large majorities in both houses of Congress, the President and Vice
President, 73 percent of the public. We will continue to work with
Democrats and a number of Republicans to create commonsense solutions to
the decades of corporate power.We do not plan to let a hardball campaign from Big Business derail the
Employee Free Choice Act or the dreams of workers.There are deep flaws in our labor laws, as Sen. Specter acknowledged
today. The freedom to join together and bargain with employers for fair
wages and better benefits is critical to rebuilding our middle class -
and now is exactly the time to do it, as we begin to revive our economy
in a way that works for everyone. In the coming weeks, we will be
escalating our campaign and finding the best ways forward to a balanced,
strong economy.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
No matter how you look at it, Specter can forget about getting the state AFL-CIO's endorsement for the second straight election cycle
And he can kiss all that campaign support goodbye, as well. See ya, Arlen! Good luck with re-election. You'll get a snootful of what it feels like to say FU to union workers!
March 24, 2009 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh fuck. With so much hatred for working people, why does anyone still vote for these assholes?
Bad news all around.
March 24, 2009 6:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's ironic that Specter is from a state where the unions in the 19th century were busted in the minefields where the mine owner owned the railroads (see the Monopoly Board)and the Court System and the Republican business interests had over 20 miners hung. They were posthumously pardoned by Governor Shapp. Mr. Sweeney will know what I'm talking about. It's one of the reasons my great grandfather became an ardent Democrat. The Western part of the State had as hard a struggle at the Homestead works. The Republicans have maintained a terrible consistency against the rights of working men and women for well over a hundred years and are firm believers in the Golden Rule (those that have the gold rule).
March 24, 2009 7:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
People want to make it sound like Specter's move deals a death blow to EFCA, and there is no question that it will be tough for Democrats to find the 60th vote. But there are four Republicans who are said to be open to some type of compromise, first of which is Lika Murkowski, who said as much last month.
March 24, 2009 11:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Specter is going down. Here in Central PA, Republicans hate him for being pro-choice and being from Philadelphia (and if they were smart enough to realize it, they would probably hate him for being Jewish, too). Toomey will sweep this area, which forms the (shrinking and dying) base of the PA Republican Party.
March 25, 2009 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink