Barack Obama

Politico Gaffe Becomes Organizing Tool In Wisconsin Recall Effort

Brian Beutler | February 20, 2012, 11:57AM

When President Obama spoke to workers in Wisconsin last week, Politico accidentally made itself the story. The paper's reporter mistook the Wisconsin state flag for the seal of a local union, and cited it as an illustration of President Obama's pro-union bias.

Politico cleaned the egg off its face by wiping the story from the Internet. But the gaffe made the rounds among actual union officials in the state and now that the laughter's subsided, they've turned it into a membership drive.

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Debt ceiling

With Default Closer Than Ever, Labor Targets GOP With New Ad Blitz

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 29, 2011, 12:00AM

"Thank Rep. Eric Cantor When Your Check Doesn't Come" TV Ad

It's fair to say that if they're not paying attention already, the debt ceiling crisis will likely be on the minds of Americans this weekend as the August 2nd deadline for default draws nigh. And as they tune in, a coalition of labor groups hope to use a new TV ad campaign to remind Americans of their side of the story.

The coalition -- made up of AFSCME, SEIU, the NEA and Americans United For Change -- has dropped ads on eight states targeting Republican politicians over the debt ceiling crisis, which seems destined to drag on until the bitter end -- or maybe after, taking the nation into default. The message from labor: "If the Social Security checks, veterans' benefits, military pay Americans are counting on don't arrive after August 2, thank Republicans in Congress."

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Wisconsin

Milwaukee Labor Leader: Union To 'Redirect' Efforts To Recalls -- And No Talk Of Strikes

Eric Kleefeld | March 14, 2011, 11:40AM

A public employee union leader in Wisconsin has declared that organized labor will dedicate its efforts to recalling state Senate Republicans this year, and recalling Gov. Walker next year, in response to Walker's newly-passed bill curtailing public employee unions. He says they are not talking about strikes.

Rich Abelson, executive director of AFSCME Council 48 in Milwaukee, appeared Friday on the local public affairs show UpFront with Mike Gousha, with guest host Kent Wainscott.

"Obviously this was a very disappointing loss for us, with regards to the collective bargaining changes that were made. However, it's not the end of our fight," said Abelson. "We have -- we're a union. What we do is we represent workers at the workplace, give them a voice, and we will continue to do so. It is our mission, it is what we believe, it is who we are.

"And now it's time to redirect those efforts, it is time to take back the Wisconsin Senate. We are very much engaged in the recall efforts that are taking place with the eight Republican senators. We think a significant number of those are gonna be successful recalls, we think by summer we will have changed the face of the Wisconsin Senate."

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AFSCME

AFSCME Hammers Republicans In New Set Of Ads (VIDEO)

Marc Kilstein | October 21, 2010, 3:03PM

American Federal of State, County & Municipal Employees ad, "Real People"

The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) has rolled out a new series of ads, taking on Republican candidates from Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

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OH-16

Ohio GOPer Claims Union Defamed Him In Suit

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 20, 2010, 10:14AM

Congressional candidate Jim Renacci (R-OH)

Republican Congressional candidate Jim Renacci has taken the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees to court, claiming the union defamed him by claiming in ads that he lied on his taxes. The ads were aimed at helping his Democratic opponent, incumbent Rep. John Boccieri (D-OH).

The battle pits the GOP against a powerful union trying to protect a freshman Democratic pickup from 2008. Prognosticators say Boccieri's 16th District seat carries advantages for the Democrats, but could go either way. Let's put it this way: It's the kind of place that Republicans say they can win this year.

It's likely Renacci suit against a major name in organized labor won't hurt his goal of rallying Republican voters for November. According to local news site CantonRep.com, Renacci says in his suit that "the union's advertising contains false and defamatory statements that Renacci tried to cheat on his taxes."

"[T]the people of our district have been witness to a new low in the level of political discourse, as John Boccieri and the union bosses at AFSCME have engaged in some of the most reprehensible and ethically bankrupt conduct this district has ever seen," Renacci told reporters in a press conference outside court house steps yesterday.

AFSCME sees things a little differently.

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Susan Collins

Liberal Groups Target Snowe, Collins On Jobs Bill

Brian Beutler | June 21, 2010, 6:00AM

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)

With Republicans (and a couple Democrats) holding up legislation in the Senate that would extend unemployment benefits and provide needed aid to states, liberal groups are ratcheting up the pressure on GOP moderates to cross the aisle and break the impasse.

In a six-figure buy, Americans United for Change (AUC), and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) will run the television ad embedded below in Maine. The ad targets Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, who are both helping to block the legislation.

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2010 elections

Labor Balks: White House Jabs Won't Deter Movement

Christina Bellantoni | June 10, 2010, 8:38AM

Union officials bruised by Lt. Gov. Bill Halter's loss in Arkansas were beyond irritated when the White House took an anonymous swipe at the labor movement for trying to unseat his Democratic rival, Sen. Blanche Lincoln. But the punchline is that they say they're more determined now -- even if it means the Democrats lose the House this fall.

An unnamed White House official called Politico's Ben Smith to criticize labor's involvement in the Democratic primary, saying they'd "flushed $10 million" on a "pointless exercise."

"If even half that total had been well-targeted and applied in key House races across this country, that could have made a real difference in November," the official told Politico. That's right in line with what national Democrats were telling me right after Halter kept Lincoln to under 50 percent in the May 18 primary, forcing the runoff which she won last night.

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2010 elections

Report: Unions Spending $100M To Help Dems In '10

Eric Lach | May 21, 2010, 11:21AM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

Big unions will be opening up their wallets in support of Democrats this fall.

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2010 elections

No Looking Back: Big Labor Will Continue Lambasting Lincoln

Christina Bellantoni | May 19, 2010, 2:16PM

Labor unions are doubling down in Arkansas as Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Lt. Gov. Bill Halter are set to duel for another three weeks in a Democratic primary runoff election. The AFL-CIO announced this morning they will keep up an aggressive push on Halter's behalf, and a top labor official lashed out over Lincoln's Tuesday night speech after polls closed.

After earning 45 percent of the vote (below the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff) to Halter's 43 percent, Lincoln lamented "outside groups," ordering them to "go home." I asked labor officials about the remark this morning.

"There's nothing outside about people who are members of unions in Arkansas," AFL-CIO political director Karen Ackerman responded in the conference call with reporters. "I don't know what she's talking about. This was an effort initiated by union activists in Arkansas for Arkansas."

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AR-SEN

AFSCME Ad Blasts Blanche Lincoln As 'Part Of The Problem' In Washington (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | April 14, 2010, 10:35AM

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)

AFSCME is running a new $500,000 ad buy in Arkansas against Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln, who is being challenged in the primary by Lt. Gov. Bill Halter.

The ad features the kind of harsh rhetoric that we usually expect a major union to use against a Republican incumbent, accusing Lincoln of being part of the problem in Washington, and of working on behalf of big corporations.

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