"We spent a fortune to elect Barack Obama" – Andy Stern, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
"I owe these unions." – Barack Obama
Obama hasn't forgotten he owes the unions, who were instrumental in getting him elected President. In his first two weeks in office, Obama issued three pro-union executive orders. In his third week in office, he issued a fourth pro-union executive order. The fortune spent spent by the SEIU to elect Obama ($60 million, according to the SEIU) has gained the union access to power. A number of SEIU officials have been named to the Obama team. Anna Burger, SEIU secretary-treasurer, was appointed to Obama's economic recovery board. White House political director Patrick Gaspard is a former SEIU executive. The unions also scored big when one of the most pro-union voices in the House of Representatives, Hilda Solis (D-CA), was named as Obama's Labor Secretary. The aforementioned SEIU President, Mr. Stern, says he visits the White House weekly, and has influence over issues from the stimulus package to health care reform to immigration. "We get heard," boasted Stern.
Vice President Joe Biden made no secret of the fact that Obama's stimulus package was aimed at boosting union jobs.
“We're going to make sure that in every policy, every decision, we don't lose sight of the folks that brought us to the dance,” [Biden] said — a reference to organized labor’s support of the Obama-Biden ticket. “And toward that end, we have to make sure that the jobs we're creating come with fair wages and decent benefits.”
Biden focused on the stimulus package, noting it will send taxpayer money through the pipeline to union jobs and specifically those in the building trades unions. "The focus of this administration the first month has been to rebuild American roads, bridges, waterways — jobs for the building trades union,” he said.
The stimulus package producing union jobs doesn't sound so bad, until you realize that only 12.5% of Americans workers are unionized. Where does that leave the other 87.5% of Americans ? Out in the cold. In addition, 84% of construction jobs are non-union. They aren't getting any help from Obama/Biden either. And those higher union wages for "shovel-ready" stimulus projects come directly from the pockets of the American taxpayers, not that our federal government ever gives a whit about them.
Btw, Obama has just announced that he's seeking a 2% pay raise for federal employees in 2010. That would be the federal employees unions, the teachers union, etc. That will cost the taxpayers roughly $20 billion more. While the rest of the workforce is losing jobs, getting their hours cut, and getting their paychecks reduced due to the recession, government employees roll merrily along and get their pay hikes, just as Congress did back in january (a $4,700 annual pay increase). The federal government spits directly in the face of the taxpayers at virtually every turn, and we just sit back and take it.
Now, it has come to light that the House health care bill, H.R. 3200, contains $10 billion to fund union retirees.
Greg Mourad of the National Right to Work Committee called it "a shameless case of political payback," saying Democrats and President Barack Obama are trying "to force the rest of us to pay billions to cover those unions' health care."
Big labor, primarily the UAW, thinks they didn't get ENOUGH taxpayer dollars from H.R. 3200. Incredible. Like we haven't bailed out the UAW enough already. With the taxpayer tab for the auto company bailouts running near $100 billion, Big Labor wants yet more and more, even after the unions emerged with large ownership stakes in GM and Chrysler following those companies highly politicized bankruptcy proceedings that rewarded the unions far in excess of investors. The unions will own 39% of GM, and 55% of Chrysler.
The upshot of all this is crystal clear – If you want something from the federal government, just buy the politicians. Same as it ever was.
Change You Can Believe In……..my butt.
"When special interests put their thumb on the scale, and distort the free market, the people who compete by the rules come in last." – Barack Obama, August 2008.
I guess we can throw that quote out in the trash with the others.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.
A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
Abolition of all right of inheritance.
Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.
Centralisation of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.
Centralisation of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State.
Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing into cultivation of waste-lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
Equal liability of all to labour. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.
Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equal distribution of the population over the country.
Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production.[7]
King – I think we have just about hit all 10 , what do you think? Some further and deeper than the others yet just the same. Before Rev and his minions succumb to their leaderships mission I hope they take the time to read the rest of the story. The story of poverty and the mess this turned into. I heard one of Obama's people describing how wonderful of a leader Castro was. How wonderful their healthcare system is. Etc and the other lies. It's a good system for a lazy person, but not for someome that wants to read an extraordinary life. It's tough to beat the cult of personality. I hope the American people will figure this out for themselves before it is too late.
How much more truth could you have showed than your last Obama quote? Not much.
I think you forgot something when you failed to mention that by Executive Order Obama gave the unions yet another plum. On all federal government building jobs that exceed $25 million only union labor can be used, but non-union people can be employed at beginners rates. I really don't know how bad this can get but he has surely about paid them back. Well, until next election when SEIU and ACORN will surely provide lots of those people who stand at polling place entrances exhibiting their night sticks. I wonder just what they will do to influence that election.
12.5% of the work force is unionized. Unions have been declining the last 25 years at exactly the same rate as all worker's wages….and you're bashing union friendly actions by Obama's administration.
Can't let a lame horse go without a severe beating, can you?
Tell me honestly King…did you really expect a Democratic administration to be anti-worker, anti-union? That's a GOP gig.
National Right To Work Committee…….what a Machiavellian piece of nonsense. More appropriate if two more words are added……National Right To Work For Less Committee.
Obama's quote might be the one campaign promise he keeps.
joe,
We are "progressively" adopting that path. Heaven help us if we don't wake up.
Rev,
Sooo, you don't mind pay-to-play and catering to special interests over the rights of the rest of the people at all. Good to know. I'll file that for future reference.
You know what kills me about the liberals ? They pretend they are for the workers, but every policy they implement is anti-business (the ones who employ the workers). That doesn't make any sense at all, unless the ultimate goal is communism. Is it ???????? That would sure explain a lot.
roy and larry,
Apparently, when Obama talked about "special interests putting their thumb on the scale," he was exempting HIS special interests. He's all for them putting their thumb on the scale, along with the federal government, of course.
I have been wondering if Obama doesn't want organized labor's billy clubs for election day along with any other bully tactics they know so well to use the rest of the time.
The day that the Congress passes that law to support the right of the unions to force workers to vote for unionization will be the day when Rev's 12.5% grows so fast, THEY hope. How else can they defeat all that right to work thinking other than Card Check. Talk about democracy, that may be the most democratic thing they have dreamed up. LOL LOL LOL
"right to work"….you're funny roy.
roy,
I received an e-mail from Obama's Organizing For America yesterday urging everybody to get out to the townhall meetings and make their voices heard louder than the health care opponents. I'm wondering, do you think the media will call Obama's people, with their professionally printed Health Reform Now signs, a phony, manufactured, astroturf mob ? I'm going to guess – NO.
And the Dems have taken to holding their townhall meetings in union halls.
Card Check is about as democratic as Iranian elections.
What's wrong, Rev ? You don't believe in a individual's right to work ? You think jobs should all be union-controlled ? Gotta pay them dues to be employed ? You're such a good little Statist.
Healthy Forest Initiative……for the sake of the logging industry.
Patriot Act……it's patriotic to give up guaranteed rights.
Right to Work……you have a right to work for little or nothing…..and the company that hires you has all the rights.
Orwell is rolling over in his grave.
I've worked in non-union jobs my entire life, and I did fine. Never needed a union, and don't need one now. All one really needs is some expertise.
If Orwell is rolling over, it's from the Employee Free Choice Act.
Obama paying back unions….if it were only true…..Dave Lindorff at Counterpunch
http://www.counterpunch.org/lindorff09032009.html
Unions = protections for the lazy workers that give a sh*t only about themselves. They are overpaid and work to get paid not work for the advancement of the company. They don't care if the company makes a profit. I worked for Ford in Walton Hills when I was young. I couldn't stand it. Watching how these people tool advantage of their jobs by leaving and sleeping and stealing, I'm glad they lost their jobs, it couldn't have happened to a better group of people. As for their leaders. Haha what a joke. They are the ones that defended the crooks and robbers.
Joe,
Unions ruined the auto and steel industries, so the left says, "hey, let's ruin the rest !"