Shifts in Union Political Tactics?

Susan has brought a couple of heartening news items to my attention. The first, from Salon, is this interview with AFL-CIO president Rich Trumka, whom I admire very much. Trumka, who supported Obama's election courageously,is now highly critical of the administration for its failure to support a working class oriented economic agenda. He promises a campaign push for state and local candidates. The second is this news report from The New York Times indicating that the International Association of Firefighters plans to re-orient their campaign spending away from Federal races too.

I actually think that the unions ought to give money only to Congressional representatives and Senators who support the progressive caucus. Susan thinks they ought to find a bunch of safe Democratic districts and mount primary challenges to incumbent Democrats. The aim would be to run union members for those seats. I think both tactics are worth pursuing in addition to running hard against right-wing governors.

May Day 2010

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.
Photograph © AP/Frank Franklin II.

And while we are on the topic of May Day ... There are a couple of reasons to call attention to Rich Trumka. He is now President of the AFL-CIO, but before that he was leader of the United Mine Workers. It has been a bad year for miners. And it is only May.

Beyond that, I think Trumka is an extremely admirable man. A couple of years back, he gave what may well be the most remarkable speech on race in American politics since Martin Luther King, Jr.; like King, Trumka links the defense of minority rights to the struggle of labor in America. And he speaks frankly. This picture of Trumka is from a union sponsored rally this past week on Wall Street.