AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, shown last year, laid out plans to freeze donations the union coalition makes to members of Congress to send a message about trade legislation. PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dozens of major labor unions plan to freeze campaign contributions to members of Congress to pressure them to oppose fast-track trade legislation sought by President Barack Obama , according to labor officials.
The move is part of the unions' campaign against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, which the Obama administration is negotiating with 11 nations around the Pacific Ocean. The unions worry the trade agreement could send more jobs to low-wage countries, including Vietnam and Malaysia.
Unions have opposed the TPP through demonstrations, letters to lawmakers and political ads, but withholding political contributions is a more forceful way of flexing their muscle. In the 2014 midterm elections, unions-the lifeblood of the Democratic Party-contributed about $65 million from their political-action committee, or PACs, to candidates, nearly all Democrats.
"Every single union in the AFL-CIO has agreed to join together to send Congress a message that if you mess with one of us you mess with all of us," Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said Monday at the union's legislative conference in Washington. "We need to cut the spigot off."
The firefighters spearheaded the effort by challenging other union presidents to follow suit at an AFL-CIO executive council meeting in Atlanta last month. The union said it took the lead because fast track would create job losses, which would hurt communities' tax bases and their ability to fund public services.
After the meeting, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka explained the freeze in confidential memos to members of his executive council, which consists of dozens of union presidents and other labor officials whose organizations are AFL-CIO members.
In one memo viewed by The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Trumka recapped part of the meeting, saying, "we have also agreed to freeze our PACs until after Fast Track has been decided to conserve our resources and underscore the importance of this fight for working people." An AFL-CIO spokeswoman confirmed the memos.
https://www.popularresistance.org/unions-to-fight-trade-pact-by-freezing-political-donations/
Dozens of major labor unions plan to freeze campaign contributions to members of Congress to pressure them to oppose fast-track trade legislation sought by President Barack Obama , according to labor officials.
The move is part of the unions' campaign against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, which the Obama administration is negotiating with 11 nations around the Pacific Ocean. The unions worry the trade agreement could send more jobs to low-wage countries, including Vietnam and Malaysia.
Unions have opposed the TPP through demonstrations, letters to lawmakers and political ads, but withholding political contributions is a more forceful way of flexing their muscle. In the 2014 midterm elections, unions-the lifeblood of the Democratic Party-contributed about $65 million from their political-action committee, or PACs, to candidates, nearly all Democrats.
"Every single union in the AFL-CIO has agreed to join together to send Congress a message that if you mess with one of us you mess with all of us," Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said Monday at the union's legislative conference in Washington. "We need to cut the spigot off."
The firefighters spearheaded the effort by challenging other union presidents to follow suit at an AFL-CIO executive council meeting in Atlanta last month. The union said it took the lead because fast track would create job losses, which would hurt communities' tax bases and their ability to fund public services.
After the meeting, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka explained the freeze in confidential memos to members of his executive council, which consists of dozens of union presidents and other labor officials whose organizations are AFL-CIO members.
In one memo viewed by The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Trumka recapped part of the meeting, saying, "we have also agreed to freeze our PACs until after Fast Track has been decided to conserve our resources and underscore the importance of this fight for working people." An AFL-CIO spokeswoman confirmed the memos.
https://www.popularresistance.org/unions-to-fight-trade-pact-by-freezing-political-donations/
