Defending Working Families from US Senator Lincoln

[Omaha Steve]

Just got this Labor News Wire:

Hey all - assuming you all saw Lincoln's ad where she decided to slam working families as 'outside interests.' Here's statement and research below from the Arkansas AFL-CIO defending themselves. If folks are so willing would appreciate any help piling on in defending working families from such a blatantly hypocritical attack, thanks!

STATEMENT BY ARKANSAS AFL-CIO PRESIDENT ALAN HUGHES



In response to Senator Lincoln’s hypocritical, flip-flopping ad Arkansas AFL-CIO President Alan Hughes issued the following statement:

“It’s a sad day for working families in Arkansas to see Senator Lincoln continue to descend into yet another hypocritical, flip-flopping DC politician.

“Lincoln has ignored the interests of working people in Arkansas too many times. It's easy for her to try to paint opponents as outsiders, but working class voters in Arkansas can see as well as anybody that she has turned her back on us.

“Only someone who has become a career politician in Washington DC could spend ten years asking for our support, take hundreds of thousands of dollars from blue collar workers, then turn around and attack us as ‘outsiders’ because we wouldn’t help her this time around. That’s not the values people in Arkansas believe in.”

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A TALE OF TWO LINCOLN’S

In the U.S. House, Lincoln chose big business over working families.

Lincoln Failed to Get the AFL-CIO Endorsement in 1998 Because She Chose Big Business Over Working Families as a U.S. Representative. The Arkansas AFL-CIO endorsed Nate Coulter in the primary and Attorney General Winston Bryant in the runoff against Lincoln. Arkansas AFL-CIO President Alan Hughes said Lincoln “hasn't supported labor” as a U.S. representative from the 1st District in 1993-96. She voted for NAFTA, to gut overtime rules, to allow permanent striker replacements, and to allow employers to set up company-run unions by choosing who would represent their employees in negotiations. “She voted in favor of business instead of labor,” Hughes said.

In 1998, Lincoln Promised to change her ways.

However, Lincoln Promised During Her 1998 Election to “Fight Hard for Working Families” in the Senate. After getting the highest number of votes in the 1998 primary, sending her to a runoff, Lincoln greeted her supporters saying: “I'm happy to say I'm one step closer to becoming the next U.S. senator from the great state of Arkansas, and I have the voters to thank for this accomplishment. They have heard my message that I want to go to the U.S. Senate and fight hard for working families.”



In her first term, Lincoln seemed to live up to her promise, resulting in an AFL-CIO endorsement in 2004.

In 2004, After Supporting Important Working Families Issues, Lincoln Was Endorsed by the AFL-CIO. Lincoln received the Arkansas AFL-CIO endorsement in 2004, despite her past lack of support, because she opposed changes to overtime regulations, helped push for the first raise in the minimum wage since 1996, and voted to extend unemployment benefits.


Lincoln Was “Honored” to Receive the AFL-CIO Endorsement in 2004, and Labor’s money. Lincoln put out a press release about her endorsement saying she was endorsed because of “her strong support of working families during her last six years in the Senate.” She said “I’m honored to receive the endorsement today from the Arkansas AFL-CIO for my work in the Senate to improve the lives of Arkansas working families while fighting to keep our jobs from going overseas.” Working families supported Lincoln with votes and labor unions contributed PAC money to her campaign, contributing over $300,000 to Lincoln between 2000 and 2004.

But since 2004, Lincoln again chose big business over working families

Lincoln Returned to Voting to Send Our Jobs Overseas With Bad Trade Deals.

* Lincoln Voted for the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in 2005, modeled after NAFTA.
* Lincoln Supports Colombian Free Trade Agreement.



Lincoln Opposes the Public Option and Supports the Excise Tax on Our Health Care. Lincoln, who had previously voiced support for it, came out against the public option after health care reform opponents invaded town halls during the August recess and her first television ad for the 2010 Senate race says she opposes the public option. She has also expressed support for including an excise tax on health care plans in the bill.

Lincoln Opposed an Amendment Requiring Construction Firms to Provide Health Care for Workers. Lincoln joined anti-union groups like the National Association of Homebuilders in opposing an amendment to H.R. 3950 proposed by Sen. Merkley (D-OR) that required construction firms to provide health care for workers or pay fines. She gathered support for a “Dear Colleague” letter in opposition to the amendment.

Lincoln Is A Strong Supporter of Anti-Worker Wal-Mart. “Lincoln also has been conspicuously silent about the virulent anti-unionism and labor law-breaking -- at least 288 times over the last five years -- of her state’s, and the nation’s, largest private employer, Wal-Mart. The retail monster is headquartered in Fayetteville. A check of campaign finance records showed that in the 2007-08 election cycle, when she had yet to announce her candidacy for re-election, Lincoln collected $25,800 in campaign contributions from Wal-Mart executives.”

Lincoln Flip-Flopped to Oppose the Employee Free Choice Act. After co-sponsoring the Employee Free Choice Act in 2005 (S. 842, 2006) and voting for cloture on the bill in 2007 (Vote #227, 6/26/07), Lincoln caved to big business pressure and announced in April 2009 that she would not vote for the Employee Free Choice Act saying, “I will not support it and will not support moving it forward in its current form.” She later re-iterated her opposition to the bill in front of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas saying “I think the compromise needs to be made between business and workers, not senators.”

Lincoln Was One of Only Two Democrats to Vote to Block the Nomination of Craig Becker to the NLRB. Sen. Lincoln joined Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) in voting with Republicans and business groups to block union lawyer Craig Becker’s confirmation to the National Labor Relations Board.

* Lincoln also voted to approve the nomination of Judge Leslie Southwick to the Fifth Circuit in 2007. Southwick’s record on the bench is well outside the mainstream on labor and employment issues, and he has been especially harsh in his rulings against workers seeking compensation for injuries suffered on the job.



Contributions to Lincoln by Working Families PACS



1998: $164,400

2000: $3,500

2002: $37,200

2004: $261,800

2006: $0

2008: $20,500

2010: $39,500

Total: $526,900









ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, WORKING FAMILIES DESERVE A SENATOR WHO WILL CONSISTENTLY STAND UP TO BIG BUSINESS