Union Heads Warn of Political Toll for Backing U.S. Health Tax

[Craftsman]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20100112/pl_bloomberg/au0qdbceurf4

Jan. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Union leaders opposed to a Senate plan to tax the most expensive employer-provided health benefits said Democrats face losses in this year’s U.S. congressional elections if they fail to support labor’s agenda.

“This is a moment that cries out for political courage, but it is not much in evidence,” Richard Trumka, head of the 11 million-member AFL-CIO labor federation, said yesterday in a speech before he and other union leaders met with President Barack Obama, who supports the tax. Trumka warned of a repeat of 1994, when Democrats lost control of Congress, if lawmakers back a health-care overhaul without heeding labor’s concerns.

Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said Obama “will be held accountable” if he continues to push for the excise tax on the insurance plans, which is intended to help fund the overhaul.

“The president’s support for the excise tax is a huge disappointment and cannot be ignored,” he said yesterday in a statement about the levy, which would be imposed on insurance plans worth more than $23,000 a year for families.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20100112/pl_bloomberg/au0qdbceurf4

[T Wolf]

1. The Dems do not listen to us libs because they percieve us as being stuck with them and having

NO power.

The unions, on the other hand, do have some influence. Let's hope they are able to lean hard enough on the pols to get this POS measure removed from the final bill. If the pols ignore the unions as they ignore liberals, the losses in '10 will be real.

[Brickbat]

2. GAWD, I hope so. I hope unions stop endorsing candidates on what they SAY they'll do, or on what

unions HOPE they can CONVINCE them to do, and instead make 'em put their money where their mouths are. Withhold endorsements, cash, phone banks and people power for one cycle. That's all I ask!

[OHdem10]

4. If the Unions would just withold support in one election, that would

have more impact than anything.

[shopgreen]

5. agree

[xchrom]

3. Recommend

[flyarm]

6. This retired union member will also hold them accountable!

and i called my senate member and Pelosi today and told them so! And am on the phone right now on hold with a congress member from my state..

I will stay home in Nov and put my money and my feet to work on removing any Congress member who votes for this with total support for a primary challenger to the current members!

In Unity with my Union brothers and sisters!

APFA

[Goldstein1984]

7. The oil industry in Alaska is in the process of forcing a 5%

pay cut on union labor.

Taxing health plans would be just one more attack on union labor.

And I'm not going to be held hostage any longer to the lesser-of-two-evils voting model. Democrats think they aren't accountable because the choice is between them and something worse. Yes, I would bet that getting screwed by an elephant is more painful than getting screwed by a donkey, but the solution is not getting screwed at all. THE PROBLEM is a system that only provides two options--both screw jobs.

[Hello_Kitty]

8. And how's EFCA going? Not hearing much about that these days.

[Craftsman]

9. And you won't, they have dropped it

If they are not pushing it they are letting it die slowly.