UAW Endorses Clinton. But let me tell you the real story

I just watched Hardball and my UAW president, Dennis Williams, endorsed Clinton. He said there were focus groups and surveys done and of course they all favored clinton. Not true. They did a survey a couple of months ago in all the work sites. Supposedly out of these surveys clinton was the winner. I don't believe that for an instant but I can't prove it other than what I was told by several locals presidents. They said the members were appalled by the UAW surveying them and by and large trump won the voting mostly because people did it for a "dig" at the leadership. Well, who knows. But here's what I know. The UAW Executive Board broke long standing protocol. Before this clusterfuck we always had what's known as Region CAP. Usually a 2 day event, each UAW region had each of its locals top 4 officers and the top 4 officers of each CAP council in the their region come together and VOTE on who they'd like to endorse. I did this many times. This time, and it's the only time I've seen this, the International Executive Board picked the endorsement. Supposedly off of the information gleaned from the "surveys" and "focus groups". Also, they completely shut out any and all discussion from the retirees. Most pay retiree union dues and have monthly meeting but we were shut out of the process completely.
This is unconscionable but it doesn't surprise me in the least. The last decent president the UAW had was Steve Yokich. He retired and then passed away in 2002. This whole fucking primary has been rigged from the start and now my own union leadership has rigged the UAW endorsement. Walter Reuther, Doug Fraser and Steve are spinning in their graves.
This is a sad day for Labor...

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detroitmechworks's picture

The Kneecap Breakers in the Party have made sure of that.

For validation of this melodramatic statement, see: Lieberman.

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

the AFT (American Federation of Teachers) endorsed HRC several months ago with zero input from the rank and file. Something smells rank and fucked.

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Peace out, tmp.

Unabashed Liberal's picture

and arguably, a right-winger in her own right. See below.

Political activities[edit]

Weingarten and the UFT endorsed George Pataki for re-election as Governor of New York in 2002. [77] Julia Levy reported in the New York Sun on February 1, 2005, that candidates for mayor of New York were meeting with Weingarten, and “political experts” were saying that “Weingarten has become something of a kingmaker.” The UFT's endorsement, wrote Levy, meant “votes, campaign volunteers, and information.”[78]

A lifelong Democrat, Weingarten is a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). She was an early and critically important supporter of Howard Dean as Chairman of the DNC.[79]

She is a superdelegate who was pledged to Hillary Clinton during the 2008 presidential primary.[80] In January 2009, she was mentioned as a possible candidate in the appointment process to replace Clinton's U.S. Senate seat.[81]

Mollie


"Every time I lose a dog, he takes a piece of my heart. Every new dog gifts me with a piece of his. Someday, my heart will be total dog, and maybe then I will be just as generous, loving, and forgiving."--Author Unknown

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Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.

I've tweeted it. Just a solid response and explanation as to why so many of us are standing up and saying "enough is enough!".

You're so right, this is a sad day for labor.

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Beat in the USA.

thanatokephaloides's picture

My next-door neighbor during my childhood was a gentleman named George Burghard. He founded one of the town's florist shops which operated for many years. By the time I met him he was retired. He had a saying about union-boss shenanigans like this:

I tell you, the day is coming when the workers are going to need to organize unions against their unions!

That day has arrived.

Sad

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Unions in decline and the survival technique has been to hold onto a seat at the big table

Dems walked away from poor by 80's and I think Thomas Frank said in the 70's

Dems walked away from unions in many ways, but a new one for me it Thomas Franks' view that the dems identified with the professional class

Unions like the rest of the New Deal democrats were left behind but, those with profitable ties to the establishment (e.g., union officers, probably not rank and file members) continue to go along with the establishment

I am embarrassed at how many dems have NOT supported Bernie

They are not concerned with the future of the party - and anyway, what good is the party?

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Diomedes77's picture

parties anymore, except on some culture war issues. The Dems are basically Republicans without the bigotry.

Frank is correct in that the Dems now support, and get their support from, the professional class (and little else). Basically, the richest 10%. The GOP still goes for the 1%, primarily. So neither party is at all concerned with the "bottom" 90% or so, and no way do they care about the poor. Even Sanders talks far too little about the poor, concentrating as he does on the "middle class." He's still a great deal better than establishment Dems. But I wish he'd focus more on the poor.

"Liberals" also like to go after "conservatives" for their insistence on business ownership as the end all and be all. But those same liberals focus far too much on education as the vehicle to rise up the ladder. What we really need to do is get rid of the climb itself, the need for that climb. Knock down the hierarchies so people don't need to struggle throughout their lives to move up that ladder of "success." Flatten the pyramids so no one is left out or left behind, so we no longer have parties so focused on that richest tier. It shouldn't exist in the first place. We shouldn't need a ladder.

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There is in me an anarchy and frightful disorder. Creating makes me die a thousand deaths, because it means making order, and my entire being rebels against order. But without it I would die, scattered to the winds.

-- Albert Camus

The DNC doesnt give 2 shits about organized labor anymore,the numbers of union workers has fell to such a low that UNIONS dont even warrant being listed as groups that are important to the DNC fundraising efforts.I received a mailer from them begging for money there was nothing about unions,but there was alot about supporting illegal aliens and their children,American born union members children not so much

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DW

Diomedes77's picture

Goes back at least to the 1970s. It's amazing unions stuck with the Dems, though I think it's mostly cuz they have nowhere else to go. It certainly can't be because of actual policies that empower Labor. On that score, the Dems are nearly as woeful as the GOP.

And within the Dems, the neoliberal, corporatist wing of the party is the most destructive of labor. Clinton represents this wing, as did her husband.

Sanders is far and away the best candidate for Labor -- aside from Jill Stein. Sounds like UAW leadership has sold out their rank and file.

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There is in me an anarchy and frightful disorder. Creating makes me die a thousand deaths, because it means making order, and my entire being rebels against order. But without it I would die, scattered to the winds.

-- Albert Camus