Unions Lobby Dems to Back (Bush's) Air-Pollution Plan

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON - A coalition of labor unions — traditionally a bastion of support for Democrats — are lobbying senators of that party in favor of President Bush (news - web sites)'s air-pollution plan.

The unions have written to members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where they are targeting freshman Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., to possibly provide the swing vote when the measure is considered Wednesday.

Tommy Vietor, a spokesman from Obama's office, said Monday that the senator welcomes the unions' opinion on the bill, but he couldn't say whether it would affect Obama's vote.

Support for the measure is divided down the middle of the 18-member committee. Democrats on the committee, along with Sen. Jim Jeffords, a Vermont independent, and moderate Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee (news, bio, voting record) of Rhode Island, oppose the measure because it doesn't deal with carbon dioxide, the chief "greenhouse" gas blamed for global warming.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050215/ap_on_re_us/clean_air_unions

These aren't really exclusively "dem" unions- this alliance includes:

...United Mine Workers, Teamsters, Boilermakers, Electrical Workers, Utility Workers and the Transportation/Communications International Union.

[Delphinus]

1. Why?

If it's *'s bill, it can't be good for the environment. Or people

[insane_cratic_gal]

2. Jobs?

consider the pollution in China.. there isn't much of a EPA there is there.

Manufacturing jobs have been exported for this reason .. the EPA doesn't go over seas and nag them.


Personally, I think Manufacturing corps would want to be cutting edge Environment friendly. Even if it does cost less to pollute the hell out of the earth. You think they would consider future to stretch beyond 100 years or their life time and that of their kids. That is the problem, all of Bush's ass back wards policies only have devastating long term effects that are short sighted.

So sounds to me like Unions are fearing the dismissal of their jobs based on EPA restrictions on manufacturing, production ect.

I'm guessing of course too

[OzarkDem]

3. False choice

Unions fall for it every time, I wish they weren't so gullible.

Did giving up pollution regs keep jobs from going to China make a difference so far? No.

Pollution controls have nothing to do with job loss, its just a convenient ruse.

[struggle4progress]

7. Absolutely right.

[earthside]

4. No Asthma in Union Families?

I didn't know that members of union families were immune from asthma and other respiratory maladies.

Since they apparently are, it is understandable then why they don't have a problem with Bush's air polluting plan.

[Sadie5]

5. I smell a rat here

Doesn't sound good to me. Maybe it's another of their planted stories to make us think the Unions support Bush's bill, just so we will go along with it.

[UL_Approved]

6. I wonder how much the union leaders were paid for the endorsement

This brings about questions as to how much money that the labor union leaders were paid to support the plan.

After all, the unions are huge, and they get money to support things too.

[rayofreason]

8. The Union view...

... can be found here -

http://www.ujae.org/

then click on "Letter from UJAE to the Senate Committee on Environent and Public Works"

They seem to have their reasons, but I think that their main concern is the jobs of their members.

[KoKo]

9. They are desperate for jobs...Chimp has biggest job drain since Hoover

and maybe before. Outsourcing has everyone scared as hell. He knew he could co-opt everyone if he gave away America's jobs...so he did. Now he's got the Airlines, Unions and everyone else by the short hairs...he LOVES ALL THAT CONTROL! After all he's the MASSA and we are the SLAVES!

:puke: