Union Member Votes Save Democrats from Worse Disaster

[Omaha Steve]

http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6612/union_member_votes_save_democrats_from_worse_disaster/

Wednesday 3 Nov 10 11:19 pm

By David Moberg

In Tuesday’s “extremely disappointing” elections, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka says, unions “were a firewall” against greater losses for the Democrats, including retention of’ the Senate.

Indeed, union members once again supported labor-endorsed candidates–overwhelmingly Democrats–by 26 to 28 percentage points on average more than non-union voters (64-36 for House and 62-38 for Senate Democrats). In a few critical races, the union edge was even greater: In Nevada’s close Senate race, union members favored Democratic Senate majority leader Harry Reid by 69 to 29 percent over Tea Party candidate Sharron Angle–arguably providing him his victory, since non-union voters went slightly for Angle.

But the union margin was not as great as in the past two elections, says Guy Molyneux of Hart Research, which polled union members as well as the general electorate in 100 swing Congressional districts. Union members, he says, were susceptible to the same wave of discontent as the general public. (The media exit polls, which identify voters only as from a union household, not as members, showed stronger Republican support in some races than did the Hart poll.)

Union members also vary greatly in their political responses by demographic group. White women overall voted for Republican House candidates by 17 percent, but white union women favored Democrats by 36 percent. White non-college graduates–used by many pollsters as a proxy for white working class voters–favored Republicans by 27 percent, and even union members who had not graduated from college only split their vote 50-50 between the two parties. Even worse, white non-college educated men picked Republicans 67 to 33 percent.

Unions, which spent well over $200 million on this election cycle but were swamped by corporate cash, claim their political mobilization is effective as a result of multiple, issue-oriented educational contacts with members, who trust their unions.

FULL story at link.

[blueknight]

1. l've been a union member since i was 18

i wish we could have even more influence, but its just going to take more time and organizing

[Hubert Flottz]

2. Whiners to the rescue...

No matter what our country does to us, It's the only fucking country we have. We need to save what we can of it.

[NNN0LHI]

3. Union have been and always will be our firewall against the right wing

What bothers me are the workers who belong to unions and want and expect our support, yet when it comes to other workers unions like mine(the UAW), these same workers say screw your union. I don't think they are helping themselves by doing that.

Want good pay? Join and support other union workers.

Want good medical insurance? Join and support other union workers.

Want a decent guaranteed pension? Join and support other union workers.

Want to be treated with respect? Join and support other union workers.

Want job security? Join and support other union workers.

Because if you don't one of these days you will be the one getting fucked. And all that sucking ass won't do you a bit of good.

Don

[EFerrari]

13. What you said. n/t

[stray cat]

4. Smart voters don't elect those trying to exterminate them

Also certainly a huge thanks to unions who do have one of few organized structures who can act to help keep republicans out od office

[notesdev]

5. Guess they won't mention

that for every union worker that went to the polls, three independent voters went GOP due to the insane demands of public sector unions

If you don't believe it, ask yourself how NJ of all places ended up with a GOP governor - it was exclusively due to the burdens placed on the state by its public sector unions.

Anyone in the Democratic coalition who is patting themselves on the back right now ought to get a slap upside the head. There is nothing to be self-congratulatory about after the worst national election losses in 90 years.

[TommyO]

7. NJ has a long history of flip-flopping between Republican and Democratic governors

Governor Christie has been very successful with his jihad against teachers, and it's a crime IMHO. Blaming this on unions is not going to help further Democratic causes.

[notesdev]

8. Refusing to admit it doesn't help

Christie is a single-issue politician: anti-union. And the people of NJ are so fed up with unions wanting more more more while the people of the state have less less less that despite everything else they put him in office for the specific purpose of taking on the unions. In a solidly Democratic state.

Public sector unions have betrayed the labor movement by losing sight of the reason unions exist (fair treatment of workers) and instead pursuing money and pure political power. The rest of the country sees what is happening (the creation of a privileged public employee class, immune to the suffering and struggles that everyone else is facing) and doesn't like it one bit.

The point of a union is that we're all in this together. Somewhere along the line organized labor decided that if you're not a union member, you're not worthy of any of the things that unions fight for.

Unions need to reclaim moral authority and the way to do that is to fight for all workers, not just the unionized ones. This means focusing on reversing free trade agreements (subjecting everyone to wage arbitrage with third-world countries) and reversing its position on illegal immigration (which destroys the prospects for poor and new workers in this economy).

[LWolf]

6. My union came out in favor of the Democrat for governor,

and he won...very narrowly. I'm relieved. OEA is a staunch supporter of Kitzhaber.

His opponent, Chris Dudley, campaigned on an anti-teachers union education platform, and repeatedly pointed out that Obama wouldn't let unions "stand in the way," and neither would he.

[theHandpuppet]

9. United Mine Workers in WV saved the Senate from Raese

Thank you, UMW!

:thumbsup:

[madrchsod]

10. we saved the governorship of illinois but...

came dam close of saving the senate seat...

two more years of busting ass to save an ungrateful obama.

[Omaha Steve]

11. I thought there would be more responses on this?

[treestar]

12. In combination with everyone else who voted D

That's the trouble with a big tent. Each grouping within it claims to be the ones to whom the rest of us not included in that group should defer and be grateful.

[Omaha Steve]

14. WSJ: Unions spent more than $200 million to back Democrats on Tuesday

I gave 10 times to individuals what I gave to my union (AFSCME) PAC to boot. Those don't show in the union figures.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703509004575592963249367510.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

By MELANIE TROTTMAN And KRIS MAHER

Unions spent more than $200 million to back Democrats on Tuesday, and their leaders took credit for helping to re-elect Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, but they now face a Republican surge that could bring their legislative agenda to a grinding halt.

Union leaders on Wednesday said they would focus their efforts on regulatory agencies that govern labor and union-organizing matters, and push for job-creating programs such as new infrastructure projects.

The AFL-CIO took credit for providing the margin of victory for Democrats in certain races, including Mr. Reid in Nevada and Gov. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. who won the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Robert C. Byrd for more than 50 yearsUnion members voted 69% for Mr. Reid, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said Wednesday.