Unions and Elections

[Pawn Power]

Unions have been involved in electoral politics since there inception, endorsing, funding, and even as politicians. Is this a useful use of their power? I would argue not but I am interested to hear others views on the subject.

The largest federation of unions in the US is backing Obama and have pledged to "spend more than $50 million and deploy more than 250,000 volunteers in this fall’s campaign." That's a lot of resources to be using on somebody else's campaign.

Here, one of the AFL-CIO leaders, Richard Trumka, stumps passionately for Obama while strongly attacking racism in the labor movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QIGJTHdH50&eurl=http://www.buzzflash.com/

If this election works to address racism in the labor movement that would be more powerful then any of the promises and hope espoused by the candidates.

[chimx]

I think almost everybody here would agree that we would like to see labor unions do something other than back the Democrats -- especially on the local level where challenging the two-party system is more feasible. But I don't know if unions are either organized enough to do so, or class consciousness is developed enough to make this at all feasible.

[Bilan]

It's a negative thing, but unsurprising for most mainstream unions to do.
It's this futile attempt to smooth over the class struggle (SI).

[Small Geezer]

Christ, that man gives a good speech.

It seems you'd have to be tough as nails to be a unionist in the United States.

[Armand Iskra]

Participation of trade unions in parliamentary struggle, particularly in the elections intensifies worker's participation in politics, In the Philippines, some trade unions, particularly left oriented, used to have political representation through its own political wing.

One of the example is the Political wing of the Kilusang Mayo Uno, Kilusang Mangbubukid ng Pilipinas and the Kadamay-the Anakpawis party list. Anakpawis, a tagalog term for the toiling masses, represents the Filipino workers, farmers and even the urban poor. It is also famous for its leader, the late Trade Unionist Crispin Beltran.