TPMDC
Teamsters

Hoffa: I Could Accept Reform Without Public Option

Brian Beutler | September 4, 2009, 8:51AM

Teamsters President James P. Hoffa

Two weeks ago, International Brotherhood of Teamsters leader James Hoffa warned Blue Dog Democrats they were making a big mistake by opposing the President's health care reform proposal--and in particular, the public option.

"A lot of these people we supported, and I think they're making a big mistake by not supporting the president," Hoffa told Bill Press

Yesterday, he made a big concession to them, telling Bloomberg that dropping the public option is "not a deal killer."

"We've got to find out what's doable," Hoffa said.

The Teamsters are affiliated with the labor federation Change to Win, which has taken a less aggressive approach to the public option in recent days. AFL-CIO's incoming president Richard Trumka has said his group will oppose health care reform legislation that does not include a public option, and will not support Democrats who oppose the measure.

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Topics: AFL-CIO, Health Care, Public Option, Teamsters

Andrew Ross Sorkin

Hoffa: Sorkin and Morning Joe Show Complete Failure To Understand

Brian Beutler | June 3, 2009, 2:27PM

New York Times reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin went on MSNBC this morning and set off the entire labor movement.

"Name a successful unionized company. Think. You're going to go to [commercial] break before you come up with one. And that's the problem," he said before a room full of unionized NBC employees.

Unions are aghast. "Sorkin and the Morning Joe crew just showed their complete failure to understand how unions contribute to the success of the American economy by blindly assuming that unionized companies haven't been profitable in the last year," said James Hoffa, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, in a statement to TPMDC.

Off the top of my head I can give you several Teamster-represented companies who continue to thrive, despite the economic downturn, but there are thousands more: UPS, Eight O'Clock Coffee, Coca-Cola Enterprises, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors. The Morning Joe team really should be embarrassed for showing their lack of knowledge on the subject.

And that's just on the record.