Democrats Join the Raid On Union Bargaining Rights
Rarely have labor-backed Democrats targeted the very right of public employees to collectively bargain. That’s now changing. In several states, Democratic legislators are betting they can cut into public employee bargaining rights and still win union backing. Photo: Mass Teachers.
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Politicians of both parties have been tough on public employees in this recession, balancing state and city budgets through layoffs, wage freezes, furloughs, and benefit cuts. But rarely have labor-backed Democrats targeted the very right of public employees to collectively bargain.
That’s now changing. In Massachusetts, New Jersey, Illinois, and Connecticut, Democratic legislators, eager to save money, are betting they can cut into public employee bargaining rights and still win union backing at election time.
It’s a tightrope for the pols. Democrats get most of their campaign funding—72 percent nationally—from business, AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka said this month. He added that the union share of the Democrats’ war chest has fallen to half what it was a decade ago.
But union money is still substantial. AFSCME claimed top place in all political spending in 2010, pouring $87.5 million into campaigns.
And union get-out-the-vote efforts can make or break some races. Union-household voters increased both Obama’s percentage and that for House Democrats by 2.4 points in 2008.
Legislators need to keep unions in the fold. How much can they go against core union
