Obama At Odds With Chicago Mayor Over Picket Line

Chicago Sun-Times:

The Obama administration is boycotting a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Providence, R.I., this weekend to avoid crossing picket lines and taking sides in a decade-long labor dispute between the local mayor and firefighters union.

But Mayor Daley apparently has no such qualms, in part because he's been in the same boat as Providence Mayor David Cicilline.

Read the whole story: Chicago Sun-Times

Comments

[edwcorey]

A friend's father was a firefighter. When, in New York, there was strife between cops and firefighters over who was to respond to emergencies, he explained it thusly: It's about loot. When people are rushed to the hospital, or after a fire, these guys loot the person's house. Why else would they argue over wanting the extra work?

[edwarvir]

I knew I loved this President of ours. He is a man
after my own heart. I am a union member we
work hard and need all the help we can get.

[LizM]

Then you must really love the Vice President!

[ChampLessFuzzy]

No one is a better friend to middle/working class America than Joe Biden. His record of advocacy goes back decades. He is truly loved and respected. Joe is a friggin' hero as far as I and many others are concerned.

Pardon the French :-)

[Sebbybear]

Unions may not always be perfect but every benefit and protection the American worker (unionized or not) enjoys; be it the 5 day work week, payed vacations, fair wages, etc. etc., he or she owes to the hard work, dedication and bravery of a union member.
Picket lines are not be crossed even when one doesn't agree with the issues at hand. It is a matter of respect for the American worker and workers solidarity.
The Obama administration is doing the right thing. Mayor Daley is most certainly not!

[47th]

Very well put! Daley and his family have been living off the public teet for three generations now, what would he know about walking out for a fair deal?

[DASChicago]

OMG! Strongly agree!

[olmossy]

Way to go President Obama !

[Trittydi]

Well - I think less of Daley for his position. Congratulations to Obama for doing the right thing.
*

[Mike949]

I would think it is a reasonable requirement to contribute 15% to the cost of health insurance. I guess the union leadership doesn't and will fight it until the issue is dropped. This kind of intransigence is why unions have such a bad reputation.

The strongest unions are for public sector (government funded) jobs. Their contracts are one of the reasons so many states are insolvent. In defense of the unions, the government did agree to the contracts. Especially after the financial support provided by the unions.

[carolinecantoo]

Mike, I hear you. I am a union worker in California who may lose my job on July Ist. If not I will be taken down to minimum wage. As a UDW member we are not big enough to do much. We care for the disabled and elderly. We actually save the State money. It would cost 6 times as much to put theses people served into institutions. The State has effectively turned the unions against each other here and everyone is fighting for survival. We need solidarity. If I lose my job I will still have to give 24/7 supervision to my son who has autism and a seizure disorder.
On that note, Thank you Obama for not crossing the line.

[Mike949]

Caroline, I am not familiar with everything going on in California however your personal situation, especially as it relates to your son, difficult an understatement.

I do know in New York the unions are killing us. The teacher unions have made it totally impossible to get rid of under performing teachers. Education reform is joke as unions are not allowing changes.

We have have prisons in NY that have no inmates but the full contingent of prison guards remain at full pay for doing nothing.

This is the stuff that drives people crazy and unfairly has people painting all unions with the same brush.

I have no answers.

[NotFooledByDistractions]

Good job Mr. President. It's nice to see an outward sign of support for labor.

[CigarGod]

With the President on supporting unions.

[henrypapillon]

I'm with Obama on this one.

[SiberianRat]

Good! I can't stand Daley--true Chicago corrupt criminal bonehead.

[Aabby]

Lol. I think the Union will mover the picketers to the new location then. A ‘Picket line’ has little do so with location.

[Aabby]

lol…I think the Union will mover the picketers to the new location then. A ‘Picket line’ has little do so with location.

[Rog49Thomas]

Why of course.

It would be impossible to move this meeting to another venue.

Wouldn't it?

Well, maybe it would be hard.

Wouldn't it?

Well, maybe it would be somewhat inconvenient.

And so on.