The Great Union-Busting Thread

[The Brain]

BB hates personal freedom.

[ulmont]

What in the world could be wrong with a union you are required to join in order to work being able to force you to fund political positions you may not agree with or support?

It may not be able to.  The Georgia Bar (which has more than a few traits in common with a closed shop union) has the lobbying fund as a separate line item on the annual dues, which you are not required to pay.

[derspiess]

unions are organised, and I think it's their organisational depth that helps more in dem campaigns, more than their money (which is also appreciated).

Union thugs are certainly useful for roughing up anyone opposed to Democrats, but don't discount the huge sums of cash they send the Democrats' way. 

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php

Democrat politicians use taxpayer funds to cut generous deals with public sector unions, which return the favor by kicking money back to the Democrats to help them get elected.  Rinse, lather, repeat...

[Berkut]

unions are organised, and I think it's their organisational depth that helps more in dem campaigns, more than their money (which is also appreciated).

Union thugs are certainly useful for roughing up anyone opposed to Democrats, but don't discount the huge sums of cash they send the Democrats' way. 

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php

Democrat politicians use taxpayer funds to cut generous deals with public sector unions, which return the favor by kicking money back to the Democrats to help them get elected.  Rinse, lather, repeat...

Yeah, but at least they are not oligarchs! ZOMG!

[Valmy]

unions are organised, and I think it's their organisational depth that helps more in dem campaigns, more than their money (which is also appreciated).

Union thugs are certainly useful for roughing up anyone opposed to Democrats, but don't discount the huge sums of cash they send the Democrats' way. 

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php

Democrat politicians use taxpayer funds to cut generous deals with public sector unions, which return the favor by kicking money back to the Democrats to help them get elected.  Rinse, lather, repeat...

Just think FDR considered public unions "unthinkable and untolerable".  He just needed to use a little imagination.

[Admiral Yi]

Especially when they only make up 7 per cent of the private workforce. I imagine the Dems are getting money from others sources.

To add to what KRonn said, union dues for Wisconsin teachers are $1,000/year.  Multiply that by the number of teachers in the state and suddenly you've got a lot of friends in high places.

[CountDeMoney]

So your basically arguing that the only way for the "liberal left" to raise money is by extorting it from union members?

An interesting perspective.

As members of unions, they gladly and willfully volunteer these dollars.

I guess I am thinking that if the "liberal left" can only raise money via these means, they probably deserve to be made irrelevant. However, I am not really buying the claim that the only way the left raises funds is via these handfuls of unions. Obama seemed to be rather capable of raising rather stunning amounts of cash, and I don't think he got it all from a handful of unions.

Unions are the only comparable leftist equivalent in size and scope to the GOP's private sector corporate contributors.  The singular novelty of a black presidential candidate igniting the masses notwithstanding, you and I both know that with the eradication of all campaign finance restraint, unions of teachers, steamfitters, auto workers and your local DMV counter queen can't touch the financial generating power of Goldman Sachs, Lockheed Martin, or United Healthcare.

But that's OK, thanks to the Supreme Court and the GOP's successful media blitz of demonizing unions as the real reason for today's economic crisis, you and your buddy Yi will be able to enjoy years and years of Republitard electoral dominance in the very near future, free to live a life of spiritual fulfillment.

[Admiral Yi]

  Corporations gave significantly more to Obama than they did to McCain.  Corporations back winners.

And Goldman-Sachs is a particularly bad example because they're known historically as a major donor to Democrats.

[Razgovory]

unions are organised, and I think it's their organisational depth that helps more in dem campaigns, more than their money (which is also appreciated).

Union thugs are certainly useful for roughing up anyone opposed to Democrats, but don't discount the huge sums of cash they send the Democrats' way. 

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php

Democrat politicians use taxpayer funds to cut generous deals with public sector unions, which return the favor by kicking money back to the Democrats to help them get elected.  Rinse, lather, repeat...

Hey Derspeiss, I was looking at that Breitbart site while Languish was down.  A lot of "thug" talk.  I suppose that's the new thing.  What does it mean when someone calls the President a "Welfare thug"?

[CountDeMoney]

Corporations gave significantly more to Obama than they did to McCain.  Corporations back winners.

And Goldman-Sachs is a particularly bad example because they're known historically as a major donor to Democrats.

As I said, the singular novelty of a HNIC notwithstanding.

Top Groups Making Outside Expenditures in 2010 Elections, Excluding Party Committees

Organization                                                  Total                  View* 

US Chamber of Commerce                        $32,851,997    C    
American Action Network                        $26,088,031    C    
American Crossroads                                $21,553,277        C    
Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies     $17,122,446    C
Service Employees International Union       $15,795,194    L       
American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees$12,631,170    L
American Future Fund                                  $9,599,806    C    
Americans for Job Security                          $8,991,209    C
National Assn of Realtors                          $8,890,737       
National Education Assn                                $8,746,556    L

6 of the top 10 are Conservative;  the only 3 Liberals on the list are unions.  Realtors don't know what the fuck they're doing.

Destroy the unions > destroy the liberal left's ability to raise money > destroy the Democratic Party on the national and state election level. 

[Admiral Yi]

As I said, the singular novelty of a HNIC notwithstanding.

Top Groups Making Outside Expenditures in 2010 Elections, Excluding Party Committees

Organization                                                  Total                  View* 

US Chamber of Commerce                        $32,851,997    C    
American Action Network                        $26,088,031    C    
American Crossroads                                $21,553,277        C    
Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies     $17,122,446    C
Service Employees International Union       $15,795,194    L       
American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees$12,631,170    L
American Future Fund                                  $9,599,806    C    
Americans for Job Security                          $8,991,209    C
National Assn of Realtors                          $8,890,737       
National Education Assn                                $8,746,556    L

6 of the top 10 are Conservative;  the only 3 Liberals on the list are unions.  Realtors don't know what the fuck they're doing.

Destroy the unions > destroy the liberal left's ability to raise money > destroy the Democratic Party on the national and state election level.

It seems your table is the top groups that run quote unquote issues ads.  So I'll concede the point that the destruction of the unions will mean the end of the liberal left's principal funders of issue ads (though I'm a little surprised SorosOn.org didn't make the cut).  Obviously that's not the same thing as fundraising in general.

What's HNIC?

[Neil]

What was the total amount spent by each side on the 2010.

[Habbaku]

Is that a question.

[derspiess]

As members of unions, they gladly and willfully volunteer these dollars.

I suspect that might change if the state stops auto-deducting union dues from teachers' paychecks.  Hmm, that's not a bad idea...

But that's OK, thanks to the Supreme Court and the GOP's successful media blitz of demonizing unions as the real reason for today's economic crisis, you and your buddy Yi will be able to enjoy years and years of Republitard electoral dominance in the very near future, free to live a life of spiritual fulfillment.

I'm seriously digging fatalistic Seedy. 

[Caliga]

What's HNIC?

"Head Nigger In Charge."