Barack Obama

Report: Obama to Endorse, but Not Demand, Public Option in Speech Tonight

Brian Beutler | September 9, 2009, 11:23AM

According to Politico's Mike Allen, in his speech tonight, President Obama will stick to his longstanding game plan of endorsing the public option, but not demanding it, and leaving himself enough wiggle room to get on board with some sort of compromise.

Allen says the public option language in the speech tonight will echo the language he used when he addressed the AFL-CIO on Monday. And that, as we noted at the time, was far from a ringing endorsement of the public option.

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | September 7, 2009, 8:55AM

Obama To Meet With Labor Leaders, Could Face Pressure On Health Care
The Washington Post reports that President Obama will meeting today with outgoing AFL-CIO president John Sweeney and his incoming successor Richard Trumka, when he visits the Labor Day picnic in Cincinnati: "In what could be a moment of high tension, they [Sweeney and Trumka] will have a chance to argue that, after being elected in part because the AFL-CIO's persuaded its more skeptical members to vote for him, Obama should not disappoint it by settling for half measures."

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will depart from the White House at 10:45 a.m. ET, heading to Cincinnati, Ohio. He will address the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Day Picnic at 1:15 p.m. ET. He will depart form Cincinnati at 2:35 p.m. ET, arriving back at the White House at 4:10 p.m. ET.

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Health Care

Will Obama Roll Out New Health Care Strategy with Labor Officials Who Insist on Public Option

Brian Beutler | September 2, 2009, 3:10PM

As Josh notes here, President Obama will reportedly roll out his new health care reform strategy at the AFL-CIO's annual Labor Day picnic.

At that event will Richard Trumka, who's expected to be named AFL-CIO's new president and who's really gone out on a limb, insisting that AFL-CIO will not support congressional candidates who work against the public option and will oppose a health care bill that does not include one.

Today, Trumka says he's received no assurances from the White House that Obama will stand with him.

And, indeed, it seems very much like Obama will not be going all in for a public option. We'll see what happens...but that could be a teeny bit awkward.

Late update: An AFL-CIO source tells me that they've received no word from the White House one way or another on whether Obama will address health care reform or not. So it seems at least possible that he'll eschew all talk of health care until he address a joint session of Congress on the issue on September 9.

Health Care

Nineteen Major Organizations Say Blue Dogs Coddling Millionaires, Making Middle-Class Pay

Brian Beutler | July 23, 2009, 12:28PM

A coalition of 19 major interest groups--including AARP, and AFL-CIO--is urging House leaders--not to cave to Blue Dogs. "We commend you for providing sliding-scale premium subsidies to families up to 400 percent of the federal poverty line," reads a letter the coalition sent to key Democrats.

This is particularly important in rural and other areas where most residents have modest incomes and need assistance for coverage to be affordable.With family health premiums now averaging close to $13,000 per year, premiums alone constitute a significant portion of income even for people at the upper end of this standard. That is why this provision in the House bill is so important.

You can read the entire letter here. It's addressed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman, Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, and Education and Labor Chairman George Miller.

Right now, one of the key sticking points in House negotiations between Blue Dogs and health care leaders is the question of financing--how to pay for the bill? Leaders had initially endorsed a surtax on high income earners to cover about half the bill's cost--but, under pressure from Blue Dogs, they're now walking that back. The original proposal had been to initiate the tax on families making over $350,000 a year, or individuals making over $280,000 a year. But now, they say, they might limit the tax to millionaires only.

But that creates a cost hole that needs to be filled. And Blue Dogs have suggested extracting it from working- and middle-class Americans. The bill, as proposed, would have provided subsidies for people living under 400 percent of the poverty line to buy health insurance--and Blue Dogs are suggesting that the line be lowered to 300 percent.

Right now, the average national premium for family coverage is $12,600--or $1,050 per month. Presumably, over time, reform legislation would lower that cost, but in the interim, it will continue to cost nearly that much. House legislation would help more middle-class people cover that cost--unless Blue Dogs get their way.

Those affected by the change would be people and families living between 300 and 400 percent of the poverty line, who don't already have employer-provided health insurance.

AFL-CIO

Stern: We Expect A Vote On Majority Signup

Brian Beutler | July 17, 2009, 9:35AM

Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, weighs in more fully on a report that Democrats have agreed to jettison a key provision of the Employee Free Choice Act: "As we have said from day one, majority signup is the best way for workers to have the right to choose a voice at their workplace," Stern says. "The Employee Free Choice Act is going through the usual legislative process, and we expect a vote on a majority signup provision in the final bill or by amendment in both houses of Congress."

AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale sought to downplay the news a bit, characterizing the compromise as a routine part of the legislative process. But the original Times report says that Democrats have "abandoned" the provision--commonly known as Card Check--altogether. Stern's statement suggests that a compromise on the provision itself might assuage him, calling for "a majority signup provision," but that dropping it completely won't fly.

Andy Stern

EFCA Compromise? Moderates To Embrace Labor Reform...Without Card Check

Brian Beutler | July 17, 2009, 9:21AM

The New York Times reports that several labor friendly Democrats, including Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) have embraced an Employee Free Choice Act compromise to win the support of conservative Democrats. That compromise? Eliminating Card Check--the majority sign-up provision that would end the secret ballot process, and, labor leaders say, curb employer intimidation.

AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale tells Ben Smith: "[T]his is the normal process of how a bill becomes a law."

We are very optimistic about passing the strongest labor law reform since the Wagner Act -- one that lets workers choose to join a union without intimidation or harassment, ensures that workers who join a union get a first contract, and has meaningful penalties for violations.

But Andy Stern seems less than pleased, tweeting, "we expect a vote in the bill or by amendment on majority sign-up in both houses of Congress."

I'm told a fuller statement is on its way, but clearly this compromise won't go down without several spoons full of sugar.

AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO: Franken Crucial For EFCA Passage

Brian Beutler | June 30, 2009, 2:32PM

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney is out with a statement on the Supreme Court's verdict in favor of Al Franken. "[I]t is essential that Minnesotans have both their Senators to represent them," Sweeney said, "and we urge Governor Pawlenty to immediately sign the election certificate so Franken can get to work."

"The seating of Senator Franken is also a crucial step towards passing the Employee Free Choice Act," Sweeney added. "We urge the Senate to move forward swiftly on this crucial piece of legislation as well as health care reform, financial re-regulation and all the crucial issues facing working families."

You can read the entire statement below the fold.

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AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO Urges Congressmen To Pass Climate Bill

Brian Beutler | June 25, 2009, 6:33PM

This is not completely unexpected, but it is very much new. The AFL-CIO has sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to vote 'yes' on the Waxman-Markey climate change bill. Labor has been involved in the process for a while, and fairness to workers was a key consideration for the lawmakers who wrote the bill. But this is also the first time the group has supported energy legislation like this, and the move gives cover to moderates and representatives from blue collar districts to support the bill and avoid inevitable jobs attacks.

The full letter appears below the fold.

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AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO: Sorkin's Comments 'Ignorant,' Vested Interests 'Don't Seem To Know Who's In Unions'

Brian Beutler | June 3, 2009, 3:38PM

I just got off the phone with Nancy Mills, the Deputy Chief of Staff for AFL-CIO, who had some thoughts for us on the substance and the implication of Sorkin's statements on MSNBC.

"One of the things it points out is that the American public in general, and those who have an axe to grind, who are promoting this ignorance, don't seem to know who's in unions." Mills said.

She noted that there's no shortage of companies with successful worker-employer partnerships adding that "People think of these as good places, successful, interesting, and they don't stop and think that they might be unionized, because there hasn't been a picket line."

I asked her if unions, or the greater labor movement have any culpability for allowing this predominant line of thinking to go largely unchallenged. She noted that there's a long standing debate within the labor movement about the usefulness of spending dues dollars on messaging to non-union members, and that the big federations have spent the last several years fending off attacks from anti-union interests leaving little in the way of time or resources to promote a positive message.

Late update: You can read Sorkin's apology here.

Blanche Lincoln

Change To Win Targets Blanche Lincoln With Direct Mail Campaign

Brian Beutler | June 1, 2009, 9:12AM

The labor consortium Change To Win is targeting Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) with a direct mail campaign. The flyer credits her with helping assure that the stimulus bill survived in the Senate and tells recipients to "ask Senator Lincoln to do the right thing" and vote for the Employee Free Choice Act.

David Kinkade of The Arkansas Project got his hands on a copy.

Labor groups have been targeting Lincoln pretty consistently since she came out against the original language of EFCA earlier this year. Last week, workers held a 24 hour vigil at Lincoln's office in Little Rock. And AFL-CIO's director of organizing Stewart Acuff says Lincoln has received 14,000 handwritten letters from workers and small business owners across Arkansas.

AFL-CIO

Labor Still Mum On Sestak Candidacy

Brian Beutler | May 27, 2009, 4:51PM

Asked for comment about the news that Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) intends to run for Senate in 2010, AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale says that influential labor organization is biding its time. "When it is time to make an endorsement decision it will be made by Pennsylvania's workers based on the issues that are important to them including the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform," Vale told me.

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) recently said that he thinks an EFCA compromise is highly likely, though it's unclear what level of support they expect from him if he's to clear the bar for an endorsement.

The Service Employees International Union had no comment at this time.

Blanche Lincoln

Will Unions Back A Green Candidate Against Blanche Lincoln?

Brian Beutler | May 11, 2009, 6:39PM

The cause of Employee Free Choice been dealt a number of difficult blows in the last several weeks, but perhaps the hardest came from Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) in early April when she came out against EFCA. At the time she said, "[I] cannot support that bill in its current form. Cannot support and will not support moving it forward in its current form."

Deliberations are underway between labor groups and key legislators who seek a compromise bill with enough support to overcome a Republican filibuster. But Lincoln, whose constituents include Wal-Mart, is situated to drive a hard bargain.

That is, of course, unless she thinks her job might be at stake. And it could be--or, at least, some influential people want her to think it could be. One senior labor official close to the situation told TPMDC that a general election challenge could be in the works. "I think that's a line people are preparing to cross."

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Arlen Specter

Labor Joins Sestak In Pressuring Specter

Brian Beutler | April 30, 2009, 6:40PM

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) may be a lone critic of Sen. Arlen Specter among Pennsylvania Democrats and party leaders, but if he looks past his colleagues he'll find a natural (though perhaps convenient and temporary) friend in labor. For now, Sestak is sending warning shots at Specter, pressuring him to get with the program, and groups like AFL-CIO and SEIU are doing the exact same thing. Especially vis-a-vis issues like health care and employee free choice.

Officially, AFL-CIO say they "look forward to continuing an open and honest debate with Senator Specter about the issues that are important to Pennsylvania and America."

"Sen. Specter," they say, "has said all along that he recognizes the need to reform our broken labor law system and we will continue to work with Congress to give workers back the freedom to form and join unions and pass legislation that stays true to the principals of the Employee free Choice Act."

And their Pennsylvania president agrees.

But Stewart Acuff, AFL-CIO's Director of Organizing hasn't been so timid.

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