Unions shifting money, resources away from Democratic convention

FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2011, file photo AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka talks to President Barack Obama in the Rose Garden of the White House

/ AP Photo/ Evan Vucci

(CBS News) Adding to the Democratic Party's monetary troubles surrounding their convention in Charlotte, N.C., in September, AFL-CIO Richard Trumka said he is not going to help fill the gap.

"We do not intend to put any money in the convention," he said on Thursday, adding that union members will not have a significant presence and "will not be doing extravagant events."

Unions are looking the other way as the Democratic Party chose North Carolina, a right-to-work state, which has more stringent laws making it difficult for workers to organize, to hold the biggest political party of the election cycle, even though the Democratic Party is millions of dollars away from meeting its convention expenses. 

We are "disappointed, absolutely," Edwin Hill, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), said during a news conference Thursday. "We're not happy with the process and there was no discussion" with the unions about choosing North Carolina.

(Watch a CBS News report on Obama's re-election in the video to the left.)

Labor unions are a major backer of Democrats. During the 2008 convention in Denver, unions gave more than $5 million dollars, with the largest backers being the two teachers' unions, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Laborers' International Union, all giving at least $1 million. The SEIU donated $750,000 and the AFL-CIO $100,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Those donations don't include lobbying and political contributions either.

Instead, the AFL-CIO, the IBEW and coalition members are spending its resources on its own organizing efforts. At a rally in Philadelphia on August 11, where they expect up to 30,000 attendees, they will launch a new campaign and strategy. Central to the efforts is a new platform called the Second Bill of Rights. The five-point plan, which calls for voting rights, the right for health care, and the right for workers to organize, is the basis of a new campaign expected to last through Election Day to determine which politicians are on labor's side. 

"This is a declaration of if you stand with working people or you don't," Trumka said. He added that it will show union leaders that those who don't sign the pledge "will give us an opportunity to say he/she did, he/she didn't."

For those that sign it, the union's resources will be devoted to help them get elected. "You will see an effort on the ground that is bigger and broader than the past," Trumka said.

Despite avoiding a major presence in Charlotte, union leaders are arming convention delegates with the Second Bill of Rights to push Democrats to add it to the official party platform.

Melanie Roussell, national press secretary for the DNC, had no comment on if the Democratic Party planned to back labor's platform, but wrote in a statement that "Democrats are on the side of workers and are committed to strengthening the economy from the middle class out."

"We are pleased with the broad support we have from organized labor to help make this year's convention the most open and accessible convention in history," she added. 

"I can't imagine the Democratic Party not embracing all five planks, but we'll see," Trumka said. He added he'd "love to see the Republican Party" back them, too.

[sandy 1027]

The last thing that we need right now is another politician signing a pledge, and tying his/her own hands from being able to make the hard choices that have to be made.Many of the people in this country have decent salaries and benefits(health ins., pensions, 40 hr. work-weeks ,etc.) ONLT because unions fought and negotiated for them,whether their professions or companies are unionized or not;so it's good for the unions to be involved in finding out where candidates stand on issues , but getting signed pledges like Norquist's anti-tax pledge that GOP members have signed is a bridge too far; and will only bring more dysfunction to the government.

[Jhihmoac]

N.C. is a "right-to-work" state...Gotta love that one...

Guess the rest of us reside in "SOL" or "wrong-to-work" states! :P

[RollotheNorman]

Simply means that union membership cannot be a required condition of employment. IOW, its the way some states have decided to bust unions and promote rich-boyz welfare over workers welfare.

[seabass6251]

Some states have attached the condition to their right to work laws that unions cannot require employers to withhold union dues from an employee's paycheck.

Nothing breaks a union quicker when the union can't get its money.

If you remember, the unions in WI offered concessions to administration more or less giving away everything except the requirement that union dues could be withheld from employees' paychecks. Makes you wonder who the union is really trying to help doesn't it? Seems self-serving to me.

[lami987]

Obama was and still is so stupid. He invited Steve Job's widow to attend his state of the union address, didn't he know Steve Job is a big job outsourcer? He visited a GE plant and brag about how good GE was, didn't he know GE is one of the profitable companies who pay no income tax? He has ford's CEO as a consultant of some kind on export, didn't he know Ford's CEO is making tens of millions of dollars for himself but pay his new hires $14/hour? I wish there was a third candidate I can elect this november. Obama is just very slightly smarter than Romney. Electing Romney is a sure death. Electing Obama is a slow death hopefully natural death can occur first. I hope voters would put more smart democrats in congress to counter the mean spirited republicans.

[wfw3536]

Maybe unions are waking up after Obama threw the Wisconsin union folks and Dem Barrett who ran against Walker under the bus. Obama flew over Wisconsin to raise money in Mn and Ill, but didn't have time to stand with union folks and Barrett. Yet, when Obama ran in 2008, he promised to stand with union folks. I guess it is just another broken promise.

[RealWorldNow]

Add it to the growing list !

[RollotheNorman]

How exactly, did he do that? By not coming and personally campaigning for Barrett? He's campaigning for POTUS himself, he did send Biden if I remember correctly. Yeah, neither Obama nor the DNC put an enormous amount of resources in it, it was treated as basically an internal Wisconsin matter by Dems. The same can't be said for RepubliCONs. And it's pretty much ok, the right wing loons did lose the Legislature, and are now, therefore, virtually powerless to impose their will on the good people of Wisconsin.

[infantryman1968]

Unions shifting money, resources away from Democratic convention


LOL!


The rats are jumping ship!

Obama and his followers wrote off the white working class long ago.....


Yes We Can!

[retmw2]

The gop never was for the working class and never will be.

[RollotheNorman]

The convention? So? Do you suppose they'll be supporting the RepubliCON convention? Hmmmmmm?

[infantryman1968]

by JewsagainstZionism July 12, 2012 5:41 PM EDT
No sense giving the Baggers, Birthers, and Buffoons, something else to set their hair on fire about.


LOL!


Yes,we know Obama and his followers hate the Jews just like the Nazi's did.

[Eco99]

Just like the GOP hates anybody that does not have 7+ digit net worths.

[retmw2]

And the gop followers have no problem giving them foreign aid, yet complain about taking care of Americans.

[infantryman1968]

Unions shifting money, resources away from Democratic convention


LOL!


The rats are jumping ship.


Yes We Can!