well, McCain, of course, silly. That's actually not the point to this post, the point is the AP news post on it, it had me laughing my ass off:

McCain points to Wurzelbacher as an example of the middle-class worker who would be hurt economically by an Obama presidency, However, Wurzelbacher likely would fare better under Obama's tax plan because it calls for no tax increase for working couples earning less than $250,000 a year — Wurzelbacher himself earns far less — and provides for a middle-class tax cut.

snip

When a McCain supporter asked him if he believed "a vote for Obama is a vote for the death of Israel," Wurzelbacher replied, "I'll go ahead and agree with you on that." He didn't elaborate on how Obama, who has said his commitment to Israeli security is "nonnegotiable," would be caustic for the Jewish state.

Fame brought media scrutiny to Wurzelbacher, who turned out to be an unlicensed plumber with unpaid back taxes.

Sam-the-contractor has less experience in plumbing than women who've gone through the pre-apprenticeship programs at Hard Hatted Women. You know, Hard Hatted Women, a group of women who help women transition into the trades?

Hard Hatted Women began in 1979 when three women - a telephone repair technician, a steelworker and a truck driver, formed a support group for tradeswomen.

Now, I don't know how she's planning to vote next week, but let me tell you what a real plumber looks like, she looks like Barb

Barbara Brunell
Plumber, A 1991 graduate of Hard Hatted Women’s pre-apprenticeship training program, Barb has more than a decade of experience as a plumber. She was hired by Case Western Reserve University in November 2002 and is the only female plumber on staff.

She doesn't look like Sam. Barb has been apprenticed and she really is a plumber and that says a hell of a lot more to me than what Sam-the-contractor has to say, on any subject.

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Free Trade with Colombia is not a "no brainer" like Mr. McSame said tonight. Let me remind you why:

I suppose the death last week of yet another Colombian union activist is just an example of how far Colombia has come in addressing their issues. Well, I guess if you're a moron, that is.

or how about Uribe who thought it was okay to address this issue, an issue of AMERICAN politics:

"I deplore the fact that Senator Obama, aspiring to be president of the United States, should be unaware of Colombia's efforts," said President Alvaro Uribe in a statement released by the presidency. "I think it is for political calculations that he is making a statement that does not correspond to Colombia's reality."

Don't worry, before the vote in the Senate this is what Obama said:

"I will oppose the Colombia Free Trade Agreement if President Bush insists on sending it to Congress because the violence against unions in Colombia would make a mockery of the very labour protections we have insisted be included in these kinds of agreements," Obama said Wednesday at a meeting of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO.

And there's Coca Cola and years of intimidation and murder of union activists:

The body of Isidro Gil lay inside the plant. The first bullet had hit him between the eyes. The remaining five shots were fired out of spite or bravado. Another Coca-Cola union leader had been disposed of.

But here's the real kicker:

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) puts the conviction rate of trade union murderers at 1%. Certainly President Uribe has shown little inclination to rectify this situation. “There are no assassinations of workers in Colombia,” he has stated, adding that there are “rotten apples” in the trade union movement.

On Labourstart, there are 100 stories of strikes, deaths, intimidation, and other issues within Colombia. The no brainer here Mr. McCain is that Colombia kills, intimidates and silences trade unionists. Free trade, No Fucking Way!!

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So, I’m over at OxDown and reading e-mail when I come across this cool piece by Michael Whitney. First, let me just say, dude, right on target, and then let me also say, how much Wal-Mart cash do you think flows into this anti-union campaign of McCain and his sweetheart, Berman? I’m guessing, it’s a whole shitload. I mean, they’re shoveling shit, why couldn’t it be a shit load. (note I covered this a little yesterday, too with Not So Fast CNN)

Okay, I’ve had my say, now hear it from Michael.

McCain's New Stump Speech Stands Up for CEO Contributors over the Middle Class

By: Michael Whitney Wednesday October 15, 2008

Over the weekend, John McCain debuted a new stump speech, filling his usual message to the party faithful with plenty of red meat for conservative activists. Introduced as a "feisty ... comeback" speech, McCain lambasts Democratic leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid for having the gall to "concede defeat in Iraq" and "raise taxes."

But in the midst of McCain's new message - mixed in-between the traditional conservative mantras of taxing and spending - is a new line in which McCain talks about unions and takes the side of his CEO contributors on the issue. Here's the whole paragraph; I'll bold the key line:

Now, my friends, let me give you the state of the race today and some straight talk," McCain said. "We have 22 days to go. We're six points down. The national media has written us off. Senator Obama is measuring the drapes and planning with Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid to raise taxes, increase spending — take away your right to vote by secret ballot in labor elections, and concede defeat in Iraq — and concede defeat in Iraq.

So why is McCain saying Obama would "take away your right to vote by secret ballot in labor elections?" First - brace yourself - McCain is lying. Obama supports no such thing.

What Obama does support is the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill backed by Obama and virtually every other Democrat in Congress and across the country. What McCain supports is giving unfettered veto power for CEOs to deny working people the opportunity to follow the American Dream.

The Employee Free Choice Act gives workers the free choice to form a union, taking away businesses' veto power on the matter. Basically, once 50% +1 of workers in a workplace say they want a union, they get their union if the Employee Free Choice Act becomes law. But today, even if 100% of workers want a union, the employer can veto it. Rick Perlstein explains the situation well, via economist Dean Baker:

The only change with the Employee Free Choice Act is whether card check recognition is at the discretion of the employer of the worker. In other words, it changes absolutely ZERO about whether the right of workers to organize is determined by secret ballot or not. The only thing it changes is who gets to decide the manner of certification, workers or employers.

Why do workers need this Free Choice to form unions? And why is McCain all worked up about "secret ballots?" Ezra Klein explains the dire straits in which workers who want to form unions find themselves these days:

About 49 percent of employers openly threaten to close down a worksite when faced with a unionization drive. Untold more tell individual workers, in captive meetings, that jobs will be lost. 30 percent make good on the threat in real time, firing workers who engage in union activities. 82 percent hire unionbusting consulting firms which teach them how to most effectively shutter a union drive while either technically staying in the limits of the law, or breaking it in such a way that the gains will outweigh the eventual fines.

All the concern over the possible implications of EFCA would be fair enough if these same folks evinced even an ounce of anxiety over the reality that workers are being threatened, intimidated, and even fired if they dare try and organize. [...] The space we're currently occupying is brutal, and makes an utter mockery of the idea of elections. Hearing the status quo defended as free and fair is like imagining a presidential election where you can vote however you'd like, but anyone who votes against the incumbent party is informed they will lose all access to Social Security, Medicare, and the protection of their local police and fire departments. Also, they'll be audited. But nevertheless: Folks can vote however they want.

What is at stake here for both McCain and Obama is a choice about creating a new path of economic prosperity for America's workers. By suppporting the Employee Free Choice Act, Obama recognizes that when workers are able to form or join a union, more people have the chance to earn better wages and benefits. Indeed, when more workers are in unions, the wages of workers who aren't in unions rise anyway. The Employee Free Choice Act is part of the solution to get our economy back on track, and John McCain doesn't want that to happen.

It's clear John McCain is more interested in protecting his CEO campaign contributors than he is in giving working families a chance to get ahead. McCain's new anti-worker rhetoric in his stump speech indicates his economic plans leave behind the middle class while enriching the already-rich.

It's disappointing - but not surprising - that McCain's not joining Barack Obama in supporting the Employee Free Choice Act to create a new economic path for working families.

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I noticed recently that CNN gets it wrong on unions and the Employee Free Choice Act.

I know, this is not really a surprise to most people readin this blog, but you never know, perhaps I'm reaching out to those who aren't really familiar with CNN and their anti-worker stances. So, let' me take a few minutes to Fact Check, CNN's Fact Check of McCain's October 13th speech:

In a speech Monday, October 13, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain took on Democratic opponent Sen. Barack Obama's stance on unions. "Senator Obama is measuring the drapes (in the White House), and planning with Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid to … take away your right to vote by secret ballot in labor elections," he said.

First, let's talk McSame and his rampant anti-unionism.

- He does not support Firefighter's right to collectively bargain
- He opposes IAFF's attempts at ensuring all firefighters have the right to join a union
- In 1996 He voted for a bill that would have repealed the section of the National Labor Relations Act that allows states to determine their own laws on union security agreements and replaced it with a federal mandate banning such agreements.
- In 2005, McCain tried to limit overtime for workers by radically overhauling the Fair Labor Standards Act whereby workers would be paid overtime for hours in excess of 80 in a two week period instead of hours in excess of 40 in a one week period.
- In 2005">McCain has blocked legislation (Fillibuster and voting to not end debate) on The Employee Free Choice Act (2007), Striker's Rights (to not be replaced by Scabs - multiple votes), He's voted for the elimination of Davis Bacon's prevailing wage rates,


Okay, got some of that out of the way, let's now talk about how wrong his statement is and then take a look at CNN's bizarro world coverage.

McCain notes in his statement that the Employee Free Choice Act will eliminate secret ballot elections. This is not true, employees can still request an election. But it will give equal time to unions to speak to workers including equal time to the pro-union workers on those jobs.


These comments always fail to note that "Secret Ballot Election" is not really an election in the sense that most Americans understand an election to be. In the US, our labor laws were written in the 30's and anti-unionism was very high and that fear is often represented in the manner in which those laws were written.

Take this op-ed in the Hill by Gordon Lafer, a political scientist at the University of Oregon and the author of Free and Fair? How Labor Law Fails U.S. Democratic Election Standards:

For instance, in elections for Congress or the president, it is illegal for a private corporation to tell its employees anything that favors one candidate or the other. But in workplace elections, it is standard practice for supervisors to hold repeated one-on-one conversations with the individuals they oversee. Here, the person who has the most direct control over hiring and firing, promotion, raises, hours and duties tells their subordinates in no uncertain terms why a union would be bad for them. The message is clear: If you ever want a raise, or a day off to take your kid to a doctor, you better not support the union.

Many of the tactics used to intimidate employees are legal. However, because federal labor law contains no possibility of punitive fines, prison or any other type of sanction, employers break the law at will. Last year, approximately 15,000 Americans were illegally fired, suspended or otherwise financially punished for trying to form a union in their workplace.

An election where one party controls the media, requires voters to attend its rallies, enforces a gag order on opponents and fires voters for backing the opposition is undemocratic and un-American. The Employee Free Choice Act would reform the current system to guarantee that Americans who want to form a union are able to do so in part by ending the charade that we call a Labor Board election by giving workers a second option: the choice to form a union by a majority sign-up process.

CNN is perpetuating a myth that somehow union elections are not only secret elections but also FAIR and they are neither. The message to workers is always clear and pounded into them day in and day out that joining a union will mean no sick days or possible firing or goodness knows what else.

But it's not actually the election that takes a long time. Most elections (about 92%) are actually completed within 60 days of the request. The issue is all of the appeals to the elections and all of the employer's ability to stack the deck in their favor, and with card check, WORKERS get a choice to do a card check by majority signature or to request an election, a fair election.

Tula Connell posted at Firedoglake last year about this and I wanted to take just a small excerpt from it:

But Big Money groups like the anti-worker and Orwellian-named Coalition for a Democratic Workplace and CUF, the Center for Union Facts (not), are waging a massive effort to defeat the bill—making these past few days critical for supporters of the bill to make our voices heard. CUF alone is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on full-page ads in The New York Times, The Washington Post and elsewhere, as well as on ads on CNN and Fox (natch) trashing the bill.

These groups' big lie is that the Employee Free Choice Act will take away the secret ballot election process. It would not. Instead, it would ensure workers have another option in addition to the ballot process—majority sign-up (card-check). The employee advocacy group American Rights at Work does a great job here in showing how a ballot election at the workplace is far from democratic—and so it can't be compared with the type of elections we had in this country before Bush.

CNN is wrong. Their Fact check uses the same old LIE from the right wing and makes it "truth." It's laziness to the extreme because there is enough information out there for them to see the difference, hell, if they'd just read the actual legislation they'd see that, instead they post this kind of crap:

Verdict: True. McCain accurately represents Obama's stance, although the candidates disagree on the merits of the plan. Organized labor backs Obama's position, while business groups and some non-union workers support McCain's.

Non-union workers support McCain? My parents are non-union workers and mom supports Obama and Dad, he's still undecided (I'm working on him). Given the chance, 60 million US workers would join a union. The problem is here that there is little chance because doing something in support of a union also means risking suspension, sitting through anti-union propaganda, or risking your family's livelihood.

Card Check is the right thing to do for American workers. We are the back bone of the country and it's about time that both businesses and also politicians understood that point. More importantly, it'd just be nice if CNN understood the difference between a Card Check system with optional FAIR elections and the current systems of intimidation, fear mongering and illegal activities on the part of employers trying to keep out unions through a "secreat ballot election".

I suppose it's too much to ask for that CNN figure out that "Secret Ballot" is really code for "NO UNIONS WANTED" and yeah, that includes the rhetoric of McCain, Mr. Anti-Union himself. But I'm not sure why they think that we aren't going to call them out on this shoddy work. I mean, come on, how long would it have really taken them to do their fucking job and get it right instead of throwing out more ridiculous Right-Wing talking points? This doesn't make you Fair and Balanced, it just makes you fox-light. Of course, perhaps that's what you're really going for, faux style news that always puts forward the Right Wing Talking Points.

CNN, I expect more from you.

But you know, I don't want to close on a sour "I expect more from CNN note" I want to end this with my favorite Union quote this year:

It’s time we had a President who didn’t choke saying the word “union.”

This is exactly what I want out of a President.

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I'd like to say that the candidates talked about union issues tonight, touched on how collective bargaining works or how the Employee Free Choice Act is a baby step toward equalizing the playing field between workers and employers, but nope, none of that. Instead, I got to see (thank you Tivo for letting me skip over it) a once great Democrat wallow in the mud with the anti-union forces against workers rights (yeah again Tivo, just writing that makes me want to take a shower). But nothing angered or pushed me further than this video clip:



I'm not sure how many of you reading this right now might have had this experience before, but let me tell you, talking about workers issues often gets me this comment. The condescending and patronizing, well, "that one" over there doesn't understand. Or "that one" doesn't know what it's like to work for a living, she supports unions...um, hello! Who do you think belongs to unions? Workers!

"That One". If you've ever organized, took a stand for workers rights, refused to walk into a Wal-Mart with a family member or friend, you've heard it. But I never expect to hear this kind of shit coming out of the mouth of a candidate for president, and ESPECIALLY NOT from a nominee of any party.

Seriously, this man wants to be president?

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Local 18's endorsement was not open to the public. http://ping.fm/Cp91I Kiss FM broke that story?

The Republican presidential nominee also received the endorsement of the Operating Engineers’ Local 18.

McCain’s campaign events were not open to the public, only to those who've been invited.

So, local 18's members who might not have supported this travesty, likely also
didn't get invited to it. Sweet. I suppose this is Sink's idea of "leadership,"
to hell with the membership.

Oh, and before I forget, the local Public Radio station WCPN noted this:

Pat Sink is the local union’s business officer.

SINK:"We have to take into consideration one thing—and that’s jobs, and the economy of our membership… We’ve been in contact with the McCain platform, and I’ll have to announce, I’d be proud to announce that today, local 18 does endorse fully the McCain/Palin platform.”

But while the IUOE is supporting McCain, the National union has endorsed Obama, and a spokesman says Sink was among those who voted unamimously to do so. A call to Sink seeking comment was not returned.”

The IUOE supports Obama, votes for Obama and Pat Sink wa a member of the voting body that gave it's unanimous consent.

I suppose, Pat Sink, is a liar here in his endorsement. And I have to wonder, who in the local was polled for this endorsement? Who in the membership was given the chance to attend the event, and how were the members NOT in agreement with Pat handled?

Local 18, don't you think it's time for Pat to hit the road?

Oh, yeah, and hey, Pat, have you noticed that your members' pay would be taxed under a McCain health care initiative as Payroll AND Income? And, oh yeah, they'd use the $5k to buy health care benefits worse than what they currently have, or does this local not bother to bargain for health care benefits?

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From Bloomberg:

Polls in Ohio ``are showing increased support for Barack Obama,'' because voters are paying attention to McCain's support for privatizing Social Security, backing ``job-killing trade agreements,'' and his backing of deregulation of the banking system, Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown said on ABC's ``This Week'' program yesterday.

Actually Sherrod, you missed one, it's also because he wants to tax health care benefits provided by employers as income. Even for my dad, that's a bad deal. But the Wall Street Journal (ugh, I can't believe I'm linking to this rag) noted today that in order to do what McCain wants, he'd also have to CUT medicare and Medicaid. MEDICARE cuts would be really hard for many Ohioans to take, and especially hard for my parents who are 65 and 61.

But Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Sen. McCain's senior policy adviser, said Sunday that the campaign has always planned to fund the tax credits, in part, with savings from Medicare and Medicaid. Those government health-care programs serve seniors, poor families and the disabled. Medicare spending for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 is estimated at $457.5 billion.

snip

In exchange, the government would begin taxing the value of health benefits people get through work. If an employer spends $10,000 to buy a worker health insurance, the worker would pay taxes on that money.

Dad carries the medical for the family (he and mom) and does so through his workplace. It's a really nice benefit. He pays nothing, the company provides the benefit and although he has a high deductible, it's worked for them due to their declining health. Their medical bills last year amounted to nearly 7% of their total income. If they were forced to find health care on the open market, I'm not sure they'd be able to get any and I'm sure they aren't the only ones in this boat. My brother is pretty much there, too.

My brother is a teacher and through his union, he and his wife have excellent health care benefits for their family of 6. Despite his and her recent hospitalizations, surgeries and broken limbs in their kids (they're into sports), their health insurance has made it possible for them to get by and save for retirement.

I'd also like to make one note about the Wall Street post and McCain's anti-unionism...

Mr. Holtz-Eakin said the campaign never intended to apply the payroll tax to health benefits. That means that most people would see a net tax cut, contrary to Sen. Obama's assertions. Only those with very rich benefits packages are likely to see a net increase in taxes.

If your employer pays for your health benefits as is usually negotiated for by your union, that BENEFIT will be taxable for income AND payroll. YOU WILL SEE A TAX INCREASE. For those with mediocre benefits (usually non-union workers where unions compete in the local labor pool), poor benefits (think Wal-Mart type jobs and employers) and no benefits (part time employees working multiple jobs or unable to afford the coverage at all), they MIGHT see some real value, but probably not as good as the Obama tax cuts (try the calculator).

This measure is aimed at eliminating a negotiating tool for unions, their ability to negotiate for benefits. It's aimed at lowering the wages of unionized employees and those who benefit from unionized wages without being in a union in order to drive down wages. And, this is what it will do. Employers are not going to turn around and hand over the benefit cost to employees as income. They're just going to stop offering the benefit and you'll be out on the "open Market" much like the market on WallStreet. And we all know how that worked these past 8 years, don't we?

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Remember, twice now, both John McCain and Sarah Palin have not addressed his desire to tax your benefits...



Why can't they just tell the truth? Your benefits become income, this way, employers no longer need to provide benefits. This is something UNIONS have always fought for, and John McCain wants to take them away from you. Union and non-union and then, let the market decide. How's that worked for the financial markets?

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Okay, I thought this was a joke when a friend told me about it, then she had the video. I'm absolutely stunned. I now understand why he's anti-worker, anti-regulation, anti-diplomacy, anti-taxes, anti- oh hell, just plain stuck in the past; this guy just doesn't live in the same reality the rest of us do.



That wine tasting room combined with the bedroom is bigger than any home I've ever owned and lived. I know understand, he really just doesn't get it.

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You let McSame use you as a backdrop in Ohio while he spoke about the economy?



And you did this so that you could FUCKIN' ENDORSE McSame?

Did you miss what your brothers and sisters in local 317 said about McSame's record? You know this kind of stuff:

In 1996, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kansas) promised the extremist National Right-to-Work Committee a vote on legislation establishing a federal right-to-work (for less) law. The bill would have repealed the section of the National Labor Relations Act that allows states to determine their own laws on union security agreements and replaced it with a federal mandate banning such agreements. Senator McCain voted to support a National Right-to-Work Law.

Did you notice how McCain VOTED to limit unions? Come on Patrick Sink, did you notice by any chance that's what he does? Perhaps the IAFF can tell you about that history.

So, anyone reading this thinking that it's okay to do this, think again. If you want to kill the labor movement, voting for McSame is what to do.

BTW, in case you didn't know, these are the officers of Local 18:

Patrick L. Sink Business Manager
Kenneth M. Triplett President
Floyd S. Jeffries Vice President
Mark A. Totman Recording-Corresponding Secretary
Steve D. DeLong Financial Secretary
Premo P. Panzarello Treasurer
Richard E. Dalton Trustee
Timothy D. Hammock Trustee
Gary Siesel Trustee
Gregory A. Kingsbury Auditor
Jeffrey A. Milum Auditor
Steve M. DiLoreto Auditor
Scott B. Peters Conductor
Louis E. Monnin Guard

Again, What The Fuck Were You Thinking? He's against BARGAINING RIGHTS for Firefighters, Against Employee Free Choice Act, wants to tax your benefits and on every single issue important to the local he trashes you.

Oh and seriously, since McCain said you've endorsed him, IUOE local 18, put it up on your site. Oh and thanks for selling out your brothers and sisters in labor. Clearly, SOLIDARITY means nothing to you guys. I'll remember that when you're locked out or on strike.

Local 18, be ashamed, be very ashamed.

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Or rather, Health Non-Care Plan. Joe's got the scoop.

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