Democrats & Unions & Corruption

[Lumpy 1]

Just an old story of American life that I guess we just accept as the way it is.

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We spent a fortune to elect Barack Obama - $60.7 million to be exact - and we're proud of it," Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President Andrew Stern proclaimed last year. Now he and other labor leaders want a full return on their investment. "A full return," more than anything else, means getting Congress, the executive branch and the courts to transform labor law and policy into vehicles for a massive expansion of union membership and bargaining power. That goal surely would have been realized were it not for dogged and principled opposition. The 2008 presidential and congressional elections provided a rare opportunity for organized labor to lead a coalition for a radical economic and political shift. The Treasury Department's strong-arming of General Motors and Chrysler into allowing the United Auto Workers to own a sizable stake in each company testifies to the power of organized labor with close friends in the White House.

Top Ten Union Corruption Stories of the Year | National Legal and Policy Center

 

[wihosa]

OOH, so scary, people might band together to improve their work conditions and pay.

They should just go individually to their employer and ask for a raise. And when the employer says you're fired they can just go die.

The pefect right wing world!

 

[uscitizen]

Those darned corrupted unions are even obstructing the construction of a religious building in NYC.

 

[Lumpy 1]

OOH, so scary, people might band together to improve their work conditions and pay.

They should just go individually to their employer and ask for a raise. And when the employer says you're fired they can just go die.

The pefect right wing world!

I'll put you in the accept column, then, it's not a problem because it's Political...

 

[sarahgop]

unions are very destructive.

 

[Lumpy 1]

Those darned corrupted unions are even obstructing the construction of a religious building in NYC.

obstructing or just waiting for bribes..

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Those darned corrupted unions are even obstructing the construction of a religious building in NYC.

They're not. This is a myth.

The Building Trades Unions are all in favor of the mosque.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Yes, unions are corrupt.

If you put more than 10 people in a room together, they'll end up being corrupt.

Unions are no more corrupt than management though - and if corporations are going to spend billions of dollars to lobby congress, why shouldn't labor do the same thing?

 

[syrenn]

Just an old story of American life that I guess we just accept as the way it is.

---------------------------

We spent a fortune to elect Barack Obama - $60.7 million to be exact - and we're proud of it," Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President Andrew Stern proclaimed last year. Now he and other labor leaders want a full return on their investment. "A full return," more than anything else, means getting Congress, the executive branch and the courts to transform labor law and policy into vehicles for a massive expansion of union membership and bargaining power. That goal surely would have been realized were it not for dogged and principled opposition. The 2008 presidential and congressional elections provided a rare opportunity for organized labor to lead a coalition for a radical economic and political shift. The Treasury Department's strong-arming of General Motors and Chrysler into allowing the United Auto Workers to own a sizable stake in each company testifies to the power of organized labor with close friends in the White House.

Top Ten Union Corruption Stories of the Year | National Legal and Policy Center

All unions are evil and corrupt The only reason they do anything is to line their own pockets.

great post lumpy

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

OOH, so scary, people might band together to improve their work conditions and pay.

In the beginning that's what unions stood for, fair pay and better working conditions, but like many organizations they became too powerful and corrupt. Today they exist only for the guys at the top to line their own pockets. While they were successful in their initial efforts and we can give them credit for the 40 hour work week and most of our OSHA laws, they were also overly destructive, running many American industries into extinction.

They should just go individually to their employer and ask for a raise. And when the employer says you're fired they can just go die.

I've never known anybody who's been fired for asking for a raise and then have gone and died. Your hyperbole really doesn't make any point.

 

[Lumpy 1]

Yes, unions are corrupt.

If you put more than 10 people in a room together, they'll end up being corrupt.

Unions are no more corrupt than management though - and if corporations are going to spend billions of dollars to lobby congress, why shouldn't labor do the same thing?

Why shouldn't they.. ah ..

 

[Big Fitz]

OOH, so scary, people might band together to improve their work conditions and pay.

They should just go individually to their employer and ask for a raise. And when the employer says you're fired they can just go die.

The pefect right wing world!

So you're good with corporations spending $100 million to elect their candidates. Good to hear you believe in fairness in politics.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

OOH, so scary, people might band together to improve their work conditions and pay.

They should just go individually to their employer and ask for a raise. And when the employer says you're fired they can just go die.

The pefect right wing world!

So you're good with corporations spending $100 million to elect their candidates. Good to hear you believe in fairness in politics.

You don't think they do already?

 

[California Girl]

Just an old story of American life that I guess we just accept as the way it is.

---------------------------

We spent a fortune to elect Barack Obama - $60.7 million to be exact - and we're proud of it," Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President Andrew Stern proclaimed last year. Now he and other labor leaders want a full return on their investment. "A full return," more than anything else, means getting Congress, the executive branch and the courts to transform labor law and policy into vehicles for a massive expansion of union membership and bargaining power. That goal surely would have been realized were it not for dogged and principled opposition. The 2008 presidential and congressional elections provided a rare opportunity for organized labor to lead a coalition for a radical economic and political shift. The Treasury Department's strong-arming of General Motors and Chrysler into allowing the United Auto Workers to own a sizable stake in each company testifies to the power of organized labor with close friends in the White House.

Top Ten Union Corruption Stories of the Year | National Legal and Policy Center

Gotta love Andy Stern "We use the power of persuasion. If that doesn't work, we use the persuasion of power." Yep, he's a charmer.

 

[Big Fitz]

OOH, so scary, people might band together to improve their work conditions and pay.

They should just go individually to their employer and ask for a raise. And when the employer says you're fired they can just go die.

The pefect right wing world!

So you're good with corporations spending $100 million to elect their candidates. Good to hear you believe in fairness in politics.

You don't think they do already?

Not the way Unions do. It will be refreshing to see it this year.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

So you're good with corporations spending $100 million to elect their candidates. Good to hear you believe in fairness in politics.

You don't think they do already?

Not the way Unions do. It will be refreshing to see it this year.

You're nuts. Corporations funnel billions more than unions, every year.

This year will be no different.

 

[Lumpy 1]

Just a tad one sided..

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Leading Union Political Campaign Contributors
1990-2010
Democrats Republicans
American Fed. of State, County, & Municipal Employees $40,281,900 $547,700
Intel Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 29,705,600 679,000
National Education Association 27,679,300 2,005,200
Service Employees International Union 26,368,470 98,700
Communication Workers of America 26,305,500 125,300
Service Employees International Union 26,252,000 1,086,200
Laborers Union 25,734,000 2,138,000
American Federation of Teachers 25,682,800 200,000
United Auto Workers 25,082,200 182,700
Teamsters Union 24,926,400 1,822,000
Carpenters and Joiners Union 24,094,100 2,658,000
Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union 23,875,600 226,300
United Food and Commercial Workers Union 23,182,000 334,200
AFL-CIO 17,124,300 713,500
Sheet Metal Workers Union 16,347,200 342,800
Plumbers & Pipefitters Union 14,790,000 818,500
Operating Engineers Union 13,840,000 2,309,500
Airline Pilots Association 12,806,600 2,398,300
International Association of Firefighters 12,421,700 2,685,400
United Transportation Workers 11,807,000 1,459,300
Ironworkers Union 11,638,900 936,000
American Postal Workers Union 11,633,100 544,300
Nat'l Active & Retired Fed. Employees Association 8,135,400 2,294,600
Seafarers International Union 6,726,800 1,281,300
Source: Center for Responsive Politics, Washington, D.C

Obama Thanks His Friends: Government Spending and Union Support

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Just a tad one sided..

--------------------

Leading Union Political Campaign Contributors
1990-2010
Democrats Republicans
American Fed. of State, County, & Municipal Employees $40,281,900 $547,700
Intel Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 29,705,600 679,000
National Education Association 27,679,300 2,005,200
Service Employees International Union 26,368,470 98,700
Communication Workers of America 26,305,500 125,300
Service Employees International Union 26,252,000 1,086,200
Laborers Union 25,734,000 2,138,000
American Federation of Teachers 25,682,800 200,000
United Auto Workers 25,082,200 182,700
Teamsters Union 24,926,400 1,822,000
Carpenters and Joiners Union 24,094,100 2,658,000
Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union 23,875,600 226,300
United Food and Commercial Workers Union 23,182,000 334,200
AFL-CIO 17,124,300 713,500
Sheet Metal Workers Union 16,347,200 342,800
Plumbers & Pipefitters Union 14,790,000 818,500
Operating Engineers Union 13,840,000 2,309,500
Airline Pilots Association 12,806,600 2,398,300
International Association of Firefighters 12,421,700 2,685,400
United Transportation Workers 11,807,000 1,459,300
Ironworkers Union 11,638,900 936,000
American Postal Workers Union 11,633,100 544,300
Nat'l Active & Retired Fed. Employees Association 8,135,400 2,294,600
Seafarers International Union 6,726,800 1,281,300
Source: Center for Responsive Politics, Washington, D.C

Obama Thanks His Friends: Government Spending and Union Support

Unions give to Democrats for the same reasons Oil companies give money to Republicans.

Both sides are bought, throughly and completely.

 

[Big Fitz]

then why the conniption fit about the rights for corporations to make contributions to candidates 'since they do it anyway'?

 

[theDoctorisIn]

then why the conniption fit about the rights for corporations to make contributions to candidates 'since they do it anyway'?

Feel free to find any example of me throwing a "conniption" fit about anything, let alone something as pointless as this.

To some extent, I think the court ruling was good. At least they'll be allowed to be honest about it, instead of bullshit PACs and lobbyists.

BTW, the same laws that limited corporate contributions limited union contributions as well.