Poll: Unions are the base of the Democratic Party?

[Omaha Steve]

Poll question: Poll: Unions are the base of the Democratic Party?

[tabbycat31]

1. one of many "bases"

[FreeState]

27. +1 n/t

[leftstreet]

2. What unions?

US pop membership in private unions is approx 7%, add public you get 12-13%

:shrug:

[quiller4]

22. After years of decline, union density increased in 2007, 2008 and 2009

From Bureau of Labor Statistics (2008):

The bureau said 16.1 million workers belonged to unions at the end of 2008. The number of unionized government workers grew by 275,000 last year and the number of unionized private sector workers grew by slightly more than 150,000.

Private sector was over 8% for the first time in many years.

Unions that have seen significant increases in membership include: SEIU, Teamsters, AFSCME, and International Association of Firefighters.

Unions that continue to show declines include International Association of Machinists and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

[Sebastian Doyle]

3. I wouldn't say THE base in and of itself

But certainly a large and vital part OF the base.

[michreject]

4. And driving a non union auto

undermines that unity.

[Touchdown]

14. As is using a non-union cell phone/land line company.

Edited out my snarky BS... Solidarity Brother!

[Pirate Smile]

5. Unions, minorities, women, young people.

[laughingliberal]

29. ..plus African Americans and Hispanics. nt

[dkf]

6. Unions are the base of the gruntwork for dems.

I really believe this. I work hardest when I find a motivating candidate. But unions go to the mat for dems even without a compelling person to vote for.

[johnaries]

7. Non-sequitor. Obama has done what he does best.

He met with Union Leaders and they came up with a compromise that makes everybody happy. As Trumball himself said:
"Obama has proven to be a friend of working people".

[amborin]

10. not necessarily:

the full details aren't out yet, are they?

but this one article makes me queasy:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/01/14-12

[laughingliberal]

30. Most of the full details are out

There is an exemption for benefits gained in collective bargaining until 2018. The threshold was raised for everyone and will not add the premiums for dental and vision. Union leaders have said all health plans beginning in 2017, union and nonunion would be allowed to seek coverage in the exchanged. The White House has said that issue is not settled. The common dreams article is outdated. The unions gained concessions for everyone with employer sponsored health benefits.

[Omaha Steve]

32. Not just for themselves!

http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/01/14/health-care-tax-union-leaders-outline-big-improvements-for-all-working-families/

by Mike Hall, Jan 14, 2010

Following two days of intense negotiations at the White House, union leaders believe they are on the verge of winning significant improvements for working families in the pending health care reform legislation.

In a conference call this afternoon with leaders from AFL-CIO unions, Change to Win unions and the National Education Association (NEA), AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told reporters the final health care bill he expects to emerge is ”a milestone.”

“We’ve been fighting for health care for over 60 years, and we are on the threshold of a significant achievement….But we don’t look at this as the end of the fight, but another step in the quest for real reform.”

The discussions with the White House envision major changes for all working families in the excise tax that the Senate bill imposes on high-cost health care plans, including:

* Raising the threshold at which family plans are taxed from $23,000 to $24,000 in 2013 for all working families, with annual increases of Consumer Price Index plus one. The threshold for single plans will be $8,900. (Taft Hartley plans will be considered at the family rate.)
* Raising the threshold on plans further if health care costs grow faster than expected from 2010-2013.
* Exempting dental and vision costs beginning in 2015, which could raise the threshold as much as $2,000.
* Raising the threshold for plans that have significant numbers of women and/or older workers.
* Preserving the original Senate proposal to raise the threshold for plans with workers in high-risk professions, affecting more than 9 million workers.
* Preserving the original Senate proposal that would raise the threshold for plans with retirees age 55 and up.
* Providing transitional relief for employers and workers to adjust to the tax.
* Temporarily raising the threshold for high-cost states, affecting more than 38 million workers.
* Providing a five-year transition window for state and local employee plans and plans negotiated through collective bargaining agreements before they are subject to the tax, as typically is done when federal laws affecting workers are enacted so that agreements will not have to be renegotiated.
* The ability for bargaining plans to go into the exchange in 2017.

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said:

The progress we’ve made bolsters our belief that a nation as great as America can provide health care reform without unfairly penalizing our working families in the process.

There are several other areas still to be resolved before a final bill is achieved, including employer responsibility to pay a fair share of health care costs. As Trumka said today:

We’ve seen tremendous progress over last couple of days, but we are continuing the fight to increase our priorities in the health care reform bill.

[itsrobert]

8. Use to be; Now it's the Insurance Companies and Banks n/t

thanks

[dmallind]

9. Absolutely not

What is there about paying fees to be part of a monopsony that makes any group Democratic?

[Omaha Steve]

28. Mutual fund in your 401-K?

You pay a fee. Everybody shares in the good or bad.

Belong to ANY organization with dues? Scouts, club, etc?

[amborin]

11. they are, but there's anti-union hatred even among Dems; this post sums it up:

"......pecularly USA attitude of non-union workers. They are driven by a prevailing, intra-class resentment of those earning better wages than them - unless they wear a suit, then, iexplicably, they deserve any fabulous salary thay can name.

I have heard over and over again from low-to middle wage USAns, including family members, that what they despise the most about unions is that they earn more pay and benefits than they "deserve", and they all should be making a low wage and no health benefits - this is prevalent among the well-paid petit-bourgeois coordinator class, but even low wage workers often resent union workers for making "more than I do"....."

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/01/14-12

[stray cat]

12. As a non-union member should I just vote republican?

[Luminous Animal]

15. Do you cross picket lines?

Do you support people trying unionize?

[Umbral]

25. If you're a scab you already do. nt

[TexasObserver]

13. Unions have some members who are part of the base.

Every union has members who are not part of the base. Some unions have many members who are not part of the base. There are teachers, fire fighters, and police officers who belong to unions but vote straight right wing.

Forty years ago, unions were reliably part of the base, but that has eroded the past 30 years, largely around social wedge issues the GOP uses.

[JVS]

16. A part of the base.

[WT Fuheck]

17. not anymore.

[Luminous Animal]

19. They still provide much of the organizational grunt work...

necessary to get Democrats elected.

[WT Fuheck]

20. depending on how this health insurance giveaway plays out,

that may be a quaint artifact of the 20th Century.

[Luminous Animal]

21. It doesn't mean that they've failed.

It took 80 years of activism before women got the vote, 100 years to rescind Jim Crow laws.

One of the benefits of institutional organizations, they take the long view.

[Luminous Animal]

18. They do an amazing job of getting out the vote.

Many have been the most visible and hard working organizers for universal health care and the public option. They were the most organized against the teabagger take-over of town hall meetings. And most recently, they've jumped in, full force, into the Massachusetts Senate race to get a Dem elected. And 59% of the U.s. population support labor unions. http://www.gallup.com/poll/112717/americans-remain-broadly-supportive-labor-unions.aspx

[Umbral]

23. 30 - 40 years ago, absolutely. Now? Not so much, unless it's election season. nt

[Dinger]

24. Yeah, Then They're Good Enough (nt)

[XemaSab]

26. If there's a fight between management and labor

I know which side I'm on.

[Brickbat]

31. I tell you my loyalty to labor goes a lot farther than any loyalty I might feel for the Democratic

Party. Bring back the Farmer-Laborites!

[Romulox]

33. Labor is not considered part of the base of the "New" Democrats--it's bankers, financiers,

and speculators who make up the largest part of the new base.

[Celebration]

34. Gotta say this

The deal that the unions made on the health care reform is going to backfire big time. People will resent that unions (small percentage of people) are getting a big break at their expense. It is going to end up with a lot of hard feelings, something the unions can ill afford.

[Johonny]

35. Doesn't it depend on the Union

Starting in the 80s a lot of Union members abandon the Union politically to vote with their church etc... I think it depends on the region and Union how good they are at getting the Union members to be politically active for the Democratic party.