Posted on 08/28/2011 11:47:04 AM PDT by jazusamo
Things rarely turn out the way I would have imagined them to, and President Obama and the Democrats might soon find that to be true of AFL-CIO head Richard Trumka. I sure did.
As a young lawyer with a few years experience working for the Appellate division of the NLRB, I was asked to join with Joe Rauh and Joseph A ("Chip") Yablonski in representing Chip's dad, "Jock" Yablonski, who was engaged in a rare and difficult fight for leadership of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), then under the leadership of a corrupt man named Tony Boyle.
After the election which was marked by fraud and cheating, we succeeded in getting the election overturned -- a first in American labor law. Unfortunately, that came too late for Jock, who with his wife and daughter had been murdered one night shortly after the election, an election which showed Boyle had won only with the votes of retired miners who feared loss of their pension and health benefits if they jumped ship.
In time, Tony Boyle was convicted of murder; his regime was destroyed; reform leaders took over the union and there was a more democratic leadership and organization which somewhat improved the miners' situation.
Chip was made General Counsel. I was Associate Counsel and Chip hired Richard Trumka, a recent law graduate, to work on the legal staff. Our paths rarely crossed, and a few years later I left for private practice and Trumka returned to the coal fields with the rather obvious plan to run for the union presidency. (Chip had never worked in the coalfields and, therefore, was ineligible under the union constitution to run for office.)
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Don’t be silly, Obama will appoint him to fill the now open position of Chair of the NLRB.
It would be no surprise. :)
Look for Barry to announce that the IRS will be hiring 29,000 more new “workers” to go around checking to insure that each taxpayer has a union card.
This is indeed a major development. Too bad for Barry and the Dems, after their slavish devotion to the union cause, Trumka the thug is deciding to go his own way. Interesting that it was he and his triumvirs, Sweeney and Chavez-Thompson who were the ones to publicly dedicate themselves to Socialism uber alles rather than bread-and-butter workplace issues.
I say go for it. Split the liberal ticket in a slew of Senate and House races and see what that gets you. Not much, I think. The inescapable problem seems to be that there are just too few union members overall and unions have finally lost their mythic grip over our collective consciousness. Even having the Oval office in their hip pockets turned out to be insufficient. All of their horses and all of their men could not make the difference in 2010 and going their own way will dilute their efforts further.
However running third party candidates even in smaller races is a major step. I can’t believe that till I see it. I can tell you right now it will be a waste of effort and money, though.
Actually under current law he is probably a terrorist.
The ‘88 strike in Southwest Virginia had miners in camouflage bombing electric substations, destroying company property, damaging vehicles of management and even had nuns disrupting traffic in their clinic buses. At one point miners actually occupied and held hostage company property.
Trumka claimed it was all done by rouges not in the union. He had nothing to do with it etc etc....... he likely ordered it all. He is an American abomination. A stain on our nation.
I won’t believe it till I see it either. The only way I think it may happen is Trumka making an attempt at intimidation on a very small scale but it won’t work. The AFL-CIO and other public unions are losing power, not gaining it, Trumka overrates himself.
The demonRATs and their unions can use and abuse each other all they like. The one thing they cannot do is face down the immovable wall that is the will of the American people.
All we ever need out here is the right information. I love the Internet and the alternatives. It would be beyond funny if 21st century technology destroyed the 20th century thuggery of the unions.
Well said, I couldn't agree more. I remember it and he can say anything he wants to say about it but the fact remains he didn't lift a finger to stop it.
Yep, Trumka’s blowing smoke. Like the rest of Liberalism’s sacred cows he HAS nowhere else to go. If he really is going to be cutting back it’s because his coffers are depleted and he’s running out of troops willing to do his bidding. The trouble with union thugs is that they don’t perform for free.
Perhaps what he really meant is that he and his minions will be concentrating their 2012 efforts on Senate and House Democrat primaries to find more tractable democrat candidates and sit out the presidential race entirely.
Trumka’s secretary/treasurer is Liz Shuler...Heath Shuler’s cousin. Highly unlikely that Obama will be sweating this.
Unions have been talking about creating their own party for years now. While I don't think this move suggests such a party is imminent or even likely, I do think it is a warning shot across the bow.
If Democrats don't cede even more of their power to big labor, they will form that third party. That puts the RATs in a quandary because many of their other interest groups hold positions that are not necessarily compatible with labor.
My strong hope is that eventually we will see the Democrats split three ways -- Blacks, Greens, and Labor. I just pray I am still around to see this dream realized.
It would be a great thing for the country.
Trumka opposes the WH gang?..Pick another brand to smoke, too much hallucinative in the stuff your using.
If Democrats don’t cede even more of their power to big labor, they will form that third party. That puts the RATs in a quandary because many of their other interest groups hold positions that are not necessarily compatible with labor.
My strong hope is that eventually we will see the Democrats split three ways — Blacks, Greens, and Labor. I just pray I am still around to see this dream realized.
It would be a great thing for the country
I think we all should invade Kos & DU & encourage such a thing :)
BTTT!
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