Look to Rhode Island for How to Target Anti-Labor Democrats

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6464/rhode_island_labor_movement_offers_lesson_s_as_its_primaries_anti-labo/Tuesday

Tuesday September 21 3:14 pm

By Mike Elk

The state's labor movement did something about unfriendly Dems

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Yesterday, during a UE union rally here outside Morgan Stanley's office, I heard a speaker ask the crowd, "The Republicans think you all aren't motivated enough to vote for Democrats this year. You all are motivated to vote for the Democrats right?"

The crowd's response contained plenty of snickers.

The labor movement finds itself once again in the difficult position of defending Democratic politicians who have done little to pass labor law reform and create jobs. The labor movement finds itself endorsing Democratic candidates such as Zack Space (D-Ohio), who voted against the healthcare reform bill. “Our goal obviously is to have a majority for Speaker Pelosi next year," Jon Youngdahl, political director of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) told the New York Time's Steven Greenhouse. That’s driving a lot of decisions.”

It didn’t have to be this way.

After many Democrats betrayed unions on labor law, healthcare, and a host of other issues, labor leaders such as Richard Trumka vowed to run strong primary challenges against these politicians. Outside of the high-profile primary challenge to Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln, which labor decided to pursue only after it became clear she couldn't win her general election, few serious primary challenges to anti-labor Democrats emerged.

This occurred as a result of the labor movement's failure to plan far enough in advance to recruit staff and fundraise for serious primary challenges. Pittsburgh AFL-CIO President Jack Shea threatened a primary run against Congressman Jack Altmire, who voted against healthcare reform, but the deadline for filing his candidacy had already passed. The Working Families Party threatened to field a candidate against upstate New York Congressman Michael Acuri, who also voted against healthcare reform, but they never were able to recruit a candidate.

FULL story at link.