DEMOCRATS move to cut collective bargaining rights...

[RyanPsych]

The national debate about the collective bargaining rights of unions, which began in the Midwest, has taken a surprising twist. In a 111-42 vote on April 26, the overwhelmingly Democratic Massachusetts state House passed a bill that would limit the right of public employees to collectively bargain for their health care. The debate to divest police, firefighters, teachers, and other public workers of their ability to collectively bargain for their health care benefits now turns to the Senate, where President Therese Murray has indicated some reluctance to take up such a contentious issue.

Union employees and leaders were incensed by this move, perhaps even more so because it came from historically pro-union Democrats. "Pretty stunning" was how the president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, Robert Haynes, described the legislation to the Boston Globe. He added: "These are the same Democrats that all these labor unions elected. The same Democrats who we contributed to in their campaigns. The same Democrats who tell us over and over again that they're with us, that they believe in collective bargaining, that they believe in unions. ... It's a done deal for our relationship with the people inside that chamber." In a statement on the federation's website Haynes declared, "Working people need to know who is for our right to collectively bargain and who is not."

A union activist who works in the state university system noted that, in this traditionally Democratic state, "there are some pretty conservative Democrats in the legislature who would be Republicans in other states."

He said, "For quite a while, there has been a big push to force all municipal workers (of whom teachers are the largest part) into the Group Insurance Commission system, basically taking away their right to bargain health insurance collectively." State workers are already in the GIC and are prohibited by law from bargaining health insurance. "Teachers and other municipal workers have resisted this push very strongly," he said.

keep reading at: http://www.peoplesworld.org/wisconsin-union-battle-moves-to-massachusetts/

[Name removed]

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[still_one]

4. This has nothing to do with the President, it is about the Mass Democratic legislature. It is also

pointing out a real problem within the Democratic party

That problem being that we have some pretty conservative Democrats who are more aligned with the republican platform rather than the Democratic one

[RyanPsych]

6. This is more of a warning

that if we want the Democratic party to stay the Democratic party, we need to be more selective about who we elect.

We need to actually move on that "change" mantra that we were chanting a couple years ago. If we want a progressive Democratic party...we actually have to elect progressive Democrats...not some conservative DINOs.

[villager]

9. Well, that's a pretty big problem as it turns out, and the question is how many Democrats

...at what levels of power, are actually aligned with conservative principles, rather than those of the people who elect them?

[still_one]

17. I agree /nt

[emulatorloo]

10. Iowa Senate Dems are doing the opposite. They've stopped every anti-union bill from the Repub house

as well as some very heinous anti-choice and anti-gay legislation.

I know this does not fit your "they are all the same" scenario.

If it weren't for the Dems in the Iowa Senate, you would be hearing similar stories to what is coming out of the Republican Regimes in Ohio, Wisconsin, etc.

On the other hand, I am not happy with what is happening in Massachusetts. I am betting their democratic contstituents aren't happy with those Dems either and are making their voices heard.

[still_one]

2. I think that is a big problem with the Democratic party, there are a fair number of those democrats

in name only. They actually should be republicans, especially based on where they stand on the issues, that is anti-labor, anti-choice, etc.

[newfie11]

3. more crooks on the take n/t

[Enthusiast]

5. These assholes need to be

purged from the Democratic Party.

[SlimJimmy]

8. Based on this number, that would be *most* of the state house.

111-42 vote on April 26, the overwhelmingly Democratic Massachusetts state House

[Enthusiast]

11. They don't understand support for

organized labor is a core Democratic Party principle? All Democrats need to understand this. Maybe the Republicans waged a faux Democrat switcheroo over the past several decades. This is a real danger.

[emulatorloo]

7. It is a big betrayal by Mass Dems.

[midnight]

12. Bipartisanship and compromise on the backs of the working people...

[Citizen Worker]

13. This is the democratic party principle of, "where else are you going to go," in full bloom. The

democratic party was taken over long ago by the DLC. It's well past the time we should move on and form an alternative to the two business parties.

[Vincardog]

14. It's well past the time THEY should move on and form an alternative business party and WE should

regain control of OUR PARTY.

[KoKo]

15. In truth we Dems have Nowhere to Go...so we must support our Democratic President in the course

he wants to take us. He has had Think Tanks laying out what America needs to grow. So..(I guess) the "Meme Is" ....we must trust him...even though we know in our gut how wrong he is. But...what can we do about it? We are seen as whiners..folks wanting Unicorns and Ponies.... So what would YOU DO?

[MasonJar]

16. Are they nuts? This issue was one of the top pro-Democratic

issues of the future. The Dems in Mass just screwed us. The Dems don't know how to win. Also the unions are the top money sources for Dems. Again are they crazy?

[yurbud]

18. run primary challengers in all the districts of those who voted for this

[ccinamon]

19. it may be that the Dems

have found that since the Unions are NOT overwhelmingly voting Dem,
there is not much point in supporting Unions... it IS a 2-way street.

Plenty of times I've heard/read of Unions supporting the Republican
candidate...and low Dem voter turnout year after year probably doesn't
help.

just a possibility to keep in mind.....