AFL-CIO leader distances labor movement from Democrats

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

/ Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Amid growing tension between the labor movement and the Obama administration, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka said Thursday that labor was starting to build its own political structures "that work for the people" - and that as a result, "You're going to see us give less money to build structures for others."

According to Politico, Trumka told reporters Thursday that labor was "going to use a lot of our money to build structures that work for working people... You're going to see us give less money to build structures for others and more of our money will be used to build our own structure."

The AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the U.S. and an historically strong backer of the Democratic party, recently announced the formation of a so-called "super labor PAC," which would enable the federation to both raise money outside its traditional membership base, and engage more powerfully in state legislative battles. It also seems to signify labor's growing desire for independence from the Democratic establishment.

"The essential idea is that changes in the law for the first time really allow the labor movement to speak directly to workers, whether they have collective bargaining agreements or not," AFL-CIO political director Michael Podhorzer told the Associated Press, of the idea behind forming the super PAC. "Before, most political resources went to our own membership."

Speaking to reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor on Thursday, Trumka argued President Obama had made a "strategic mistake" in talking about job creation and the deficit problem in the same breath, and that, as a result, "people got the two confused."

"I think he made a strategic mistake when he confused job crisis with the deficit crisis a number of months ago -- when he would talk about job creation and then the same sentence talk about deficit reduction and people got the two confused," Trumka said. "I think that was a strategic mistake. And he started playing on the Republican ground."

Trumka also expressed skepticism regarding Mr. Obama's recent job creation proposals, and indicated that in the absence of a program he considered effective, "I think we'd better use our money doing other things." He noted that many in the labor community were considering sitting out the 2012 Democratic convention.

"This is a moment that working people and quite frankly history will judge President Obama on his presidency; will he commit all his energy and focus on bold solutions on the job crisis or will he continue to work with the Tea Party to offer cuts to middle class programs like Social Security all the while pretending the deficit is where our economic problems really lie?" Trumka asked at the breakfast, as TPM reports.

[magnumdr]

Why is everyone trying to bust unions today. Don't the big companies make enough money or do they just want more money comeing from the workers pockets. Leave the dam workers alone and stop all of this illegal union busting.

[tsigili]

He means "that keep the blue collar workers, as dues paying members of the unions".

[retm-w]

Well somebody has to take care of the blue collar workers, republicans look down on them like they're low class bums.

[RobAla]

retm-w: Not all blue collar workers belong to a union. When I was young, I worked construction - and I was never a part of a union. After that, I drove a bus - and I was never a part of a union. I later went to college at night for 10 years, and now I am no longer a blue collar worker. I have seen both side, while collar and blue collar - but I have never belonged to a union. I wish you well.

[RobAla]

The unions may not pump money into President Obama's campaign, but I don't see unions supporting anyone else other than Democrats. My guess is that they will support House and Senate candidates individually, rather than the Democrat party as a whole. I can understand why union bosses are pulling away from President Obama. For one, I think they see him as being unelectable for a second term, and they are waiting for another Democrat to challenge him. They other, is that President Obama has done really weird things when it comes to American jobs (union and non-union jobs). Below is something that I posted a couple of days ago:

Fox News - Bill O'Reilly reported on General Electric and China developing aircraft technology that will compete with American companies (like Boeing). President Obama appointed GE's CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt as Chair of Presidents Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1125886140001/why-is-ge-launching-joint-venture-with-china
I want to know three things:
1) Where is the outrage from union bosses over this?
2) Where is the CBS coverage on this?
3) How could any President appoint a CEO of a company that is joining with China to compete against American companies as the Chair of Presidents Council on Jobs and Competitiveness?

[retm-w]

That's capitalism, that you republicans scream about. Boeing ran away from wages and benefits in Washington State and went to a red low paying State. GE did them one better and went to a slave wages country. The red right to work states are stealing jobs from other states wi9th their sub par wages, so reap what you sow.

[RobAla]

retm-w: This is something that we don't agree on. I don't see a company "doing one better" by giving a job to a Chinese worker rather than to a non-union American worker. I see it as "much worse". Free Market does not force a company to give the job to a Chinese. That would be the decision of the company. As for Boeing looking to save money in this horrible economy by finding non-union American workers - there is nothing wrong with this. It makes sense. I don't have any problem with private unions, as long as they don't make crippling demands on the business.

Because of some union demands, some companies have elected to leave the US for a more business friendly nation. I would much rather see the business give the job to a non-union American, than to a foreign worker. I wish you well.

[agnesdeo]

For true liberals/socialists like many union leaders, Obama is their ONLY choice...the ALF CIO needs the Democrats and the Democrats needs ALF CIO. I think this is only a smoke screen.

[seenoland]

Actually, I think they are being smart. Instead of blanket money going to the party in general, they are taking control of their own funds and destiny and putting it where they believe it will serve them best rather than HANDING THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY OVER TO THE dEMS AND EXPECTING THEM TO USE IT RESPONSIBLY...they already got a good look at what that has done to the rest of us.

[chatmandu7451]

Yes lets have a Progressive/Socialist/Communist Labor Party and run a candidate against Obama. Please please....

Vote for OMG (Obama Must Go)
or
Vote for ABO (Anybody But Obama)

[jgg000101]

what a load of hooey this publicity BS is. The AFL-CIO formed a super-pac to collect funds specifically for democratic candidates. Now we're supposed to believe that they are distancing themselves from the very people they are collecting money for? What a freaken joke this is and how stupid do they think people are??? The truth is the AFL-CIO super-pac has nobody to collect money from. They can't get anymore out of their union members, they can't hit-up the usual democratic donors who have given and are committed already, and they can't go after the same people obama's picking on. Who's left?
They have to go hunting in new fields and hopefully snag some independents. Richard Trumka visiting the whitehouse every week is not "distancing" himself.

[PeaceInPeaceOut]

"The Right" never liked Obama's policies and now "The Left" is abandoning him. Where does that leave those that still support Obama? Dementia....