Stern Lashes Out At Senate Dems, Calls Some Legislative 'Terrorists'

Two of the most powerful union officials in the country lashed out at Senate Democrats on Tuesday, jokingly calling some of them legislative "terrorists" and slamming leadership for "squandering" a supermajority in the Senate.

Pointing to the failure of Congress to pass health care reform and effectively stimulate job creation, SEIU president Andy Stern insisted that "unless something dramatic happens here" the country's labor activists will not be eager to help the Democratic Party in the 2010 elections. Speaking at a forum on the state of the American worker at the Center for American Progress, he urged House Democrats to pass the Senate's version of health care legislation with promises that it will be amended after the fact using reconciliation. And he called on President Obama to drive home this point during the State of the Union address on Wednesday.

"Take the Senate bill as it is as the foundation to find ways whether through reconciliation or other legislative processes to try and fix the things that a lot of people think need to be fixed both now in the House and the Senate," Stern said. "I think going through reconciliation we don't have Ben Nelson or Joe Lieberman to kick around anymore. So the 58 other senators get to decide something they maybe didn't get to decide the first time around because of the hostage-taking that is going on in the Senate."

Stern wasn't done lashing out at Lieberman, Nelson and the other conservative members of the Senate Democratic caucus. Reflecting on the policy changes that these senators secured during health care negotiations, he argued that the country "should send the national security people over to [the Senate to] explain to them why we don't negotiate with terrorists..."

"Because there are a lot of terrorists in the Senate who think we are supposed to negotiate with them when they have their particular needs that they want met," he added.

"Are the Senate rules really appropriate for a 21st-century country where we can create gridlock by very limited hard work?" Stern added. "If we are going to have filibusters, let's at least have a debate. At least make people go to the floor. Let's put the cots on the floor permanently... Change can easily die in the wells of the Senate."

Asked how badly he wanted filibuster reform, he replied: "Very badly."

Stern's lament of the Democratic Party's inability to get legislative action done, even with its supermajority, was shared by his co-panelist and labor colleague, Anna Burger, head of Change to Win

"I woke up Tuesday and we have 60 seats in the Senate and we couldn't count 60 votes," she said. "I woke up Wednesday morning and we had 59 seats in the Senate and we still couldn't count 60 votes."

In a shot across the bow at congressional Democrats worried about their electoral fate, she added: "If Congress does not act, then they will lose. There is no way that inaction will get us anywhere... 2010 will be a terrible election. People in fact voted for change, and if they haven't gotten change then they will go back and vote for the next change."

Comments

[Veri]

12:53 AM on 01/27/2010

The question Stern and Co. should be asking themselves is, "Which Republicans will replace them?". The other question they should be asking, "Which Democrat will replace them and do nothing as usual?"

[urchinsadrift]

12:25 AM on 01/27/2010

Unions played a part in breaking up the 'company store' era where the company owned the town and provided everything the employees needed - housing, food, clothing. After a few decades, the unions are demanding the return of the company store. And barry wants to provide it.

[Veri]

12:49 AM on 01/27/2010

The company store was often times a way to keep the worker indebted to the company. The company pays a wage to the worker. The worker pays inflated prices at the company store and takes out a line of credit. The worker is now a slave to the company. Paying back the company and owing credit.

The profits never go anywhere and the worker is an indentured servant.

Very nice.

[urchinsadrift]

01:45 AM on 01/27/2010

And now the govt is the new plantation / company store. No one will escape the new yoke of oppression.

[breakingpoint]

12:04 AM on 01/27/2010

democrats what a failed party

[Dbos]

12:48 AM on 01/27/2010

expert at failing?

[Veri]

12:50 AM on 01/27/2010

Republicans. Adding five trillion in new debt while enabling the impoverishment of America while simultaneously establishing WealthCare. Republicans. Morally bankrupt.

[Intelligentia]

11:45 PM on 01/26/2010

This is what happens when you vote losers into office. They will do anything to hold onto their seats, because when they are out of office some of them don't know what to do except lobbying. That is why they will never allow term limits. We will keep living under this governorship of the corrupt until about 50 years when the population make-up can help us get out of this kleptocracy. Until then, enjoy the misery. But, don't forget those who are responsible for this, both the voters and rulers.

[Veri]

12:51 AM on 01/27/2010

Smells like you are describing Republicans and Democrats.

[smiththomas]

11:10 PM on 01/26/2010

The seiu is all through the bill. They will cost us all

[Veri]

12:51 AM on 01/27/2010

And what has George Bush cost us? Ouch.

[lazercat2008]

11:04 PM on 01/26/2010

How many weeks will Unions last when the Republican Party takes back over Congress?

Take a guess??????

[henrypapillon]

11:26 PM on 01/26/2010

My thoughts eggs ackly

[Solja]

04:03 AM on 01/27/2010

Republicans don't like unions because they don't like Americans who don't vote for them. Unions workers are every day people who work their tails off for a living. These are the same people that hit the ground, knocked on doors, donated money, worked the phones, and donated their hard earned money to election a majority Dem congress and POTUS.

When the Republicans were in charge, unions were around, as they still are and have been for decades. You can't get rid of unions unless you destroy entire industries. Railroads, grocery stores, police/firefighters, nurses, teachers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc. etc. etc., all are union workers, and like it that way. The Republican Party is all talk, ZERO action. All they are concerned about is winning elections, not governing this country properly for the people; all people.

[Hiphopcrates]

10:31 PM on 01/26/2010

If the people don't get change, they will vote for the next change. Beautiful.

[Veri]

12:54 AM on 01/27/2010

They will vote for the next Republican or Democrat. No change at all. Just further impoverishment.

[Birdman]

10:18 PM on 01/26/2010

well I do not know if I would go as far as to call then terrorists, but I will say that they should have acted like the republicana did when they had the majority .. you know tell them they do not matter and pass the healthcare bill. Problem is they are not republicans (probably good in some aspects) therefore there was never any agreement on what the bill should be. and they wasted theirs and everyone elses time. rather than do what was right they did what they were told to do by their money men.

[Solja]

04:05 AM on 01/27/2010

Stupak, Nelson, Landreau, and that Arkansas lady are all terrorists. I can't think of a better word for folks who took the nation's new health care system and blew it out of the water, despite what the people wanted.

[Carolyn LeBeauf]

09:52 PM on 01/26/2010

I concur.

[rightman444]

08:52 PM on 01/26/2010

So how are unions helping us sell our products in the current global market?

Do unions promote initiative and advancement based on merit or lethargy and advancement based on time?

My time in the union showed me the latter was true. No one worked hard. No one took on anything extra. Constantly "that is not my job". It was very sad.

[rmonroe]

09:23 PM on 01/26/2010

Unions protect the rights of workers. Without them management would have their way with their employees and workers would have absolutely zero rights. I definitely support unions or any organization that works hard to for hardworking Americans.

[billhodges]

09:27 PM on 01/26/2010

only 8% of workers in the US are in a Union. Seems to me the others are doing OK without paying the Union to do what ever they want with it. They protect little but demand a lot.

I agree Union shops are full of lazy workers that know they can not be fired easily so they do not work hard, and that costs the company money.

Andy Stern is a Socialist that seeks more and more power.

[Birdman]

10:20 PM on 01/26/2010

Well the not my job is a way to protect the guy whose job it is. For example if you are welder it is not your job to sweep the floor. That is someone elses job. Although non union compnaies would have you wearing a broom tied to your backside so you could sweep and weld at the same time.

[wdw505]

10:45 PM on 01/26/2010

my welders are indeed required to clean up their own work space.........and yes it does count against their piece count for the day.........yet you would have a problem cleaning up your own mess.........wow.....color me surprised.......classic union mentality

[Janine547]

06:02 AM on 01/27/2010

"For example if you are welder it is not your job to sweep the floor".... Hense the reasons union membership is in a free fall. The typical elistist mentality of "why should I do it, it's not in my job description".

All you keep hearing are the unions spewing about how their existance keeps the middle class employed. That couldn't be further from the truth. The government regardless of which party holding the White House realizes that they need the middle class. That "Middle Class" is the governments biggest tax base. Oh, sure the rich might pay more in taxes, but the middle class out numbers the rich.

Unions scream that without them businesses would mistreat their employees. Again, another lie. The government already has agencies in place to protect the worker, from safety, to employee rights which also allow arbitration. The last thing people need are some knuckledragging union rep cutting some backroom deal with management that decides your future.

So, I'd have to say that unions could disappear very much the same way that Hoffa has.
Never to be seen again.
Ever notice the more you make the more the unions justify raising your dues. Hmm, sounds alittle odd to me. They were able to perform on the previous dues being paid.
Their sucking money from your pocket, from the backs of the working.

[gaubladt]

08:45 PM on 01/26/2010

That sounds better than what I've heard from the Democrats. But, at times like this, we need a third party on the Left, willing to tax the rich to ballance the budget, instead of cutting back on needed services. Maby Mr. Stern could do something about that, instead of wasting his time beating dead horses.

[Quitcherbichin]

07:41 PM on 01/26/2010

Stern has made the SEIU the modern day Teamsters. The SEIU should be renamed Thugs Incorporated. I know plenty of union members who would not vote Democrat with a gun to their heads. They are UMINO's, union members in name only. Stern doesn't seem to understand that collectively union membership doesn't amount to a gnat on an elephants patout as far as their number in the electorate. They become more irrelevant every day.

[smoke1]

08:39 PM on 01/26/2010

I could never figure out why UMINO's don't just quit their job and find a non- union job like good republican and back up their big talk.

[gaubladt]

08:51 PM on 01/26/2010

Thugs Incorporated? Goldman Sachs has got a monopoly on that logo too.

[MtDavid]

07:38 PM on 01/26/2010

Anyone who disagrees with another person is now a terrorist.
I will be glad when the word loses it's scary connotation and becomes meaningless. Meanwhile, keep in mind that anyone using the the term is trying to evoke terror to make a point!

[One more Thing]

08:20 PM on 01/26/2010

In this case a very good point was made!

[springsm]

06:27 PM on 01/26/2010

Mr Stern obviously thinks he is the right hand of President Obama. He is like most union leaders, one step up from being a common thug. He also is no different that the crooks on Wall Street. Unions had a big part in building this country for capitalists, they did other good things too about job abuses, but they are not free of dirty hands themselves. Mr. Stern needs to return to being a leader of his people and stop with the name calling. For those three fingers pointing back at you Mr Stern, may bear watching.

[rightman444]

06:39 PM on 01/26/2010

He is loved and admired by the left. Quite a role model.

[Bankerrkt]

07:28 PM on 01/26/2010

I suppose Stern will next send his purple shirted goons to the capital to break some knees. Prez BO simply needs to send Stern another weekend in the Lincoln Bedroom invite to calm him down.

[Veri]

12:58 AM on 01/27/2010

Teabaggers are well on their way to beating Stern to The Capitol.

[rightman444]

06:06 PM on 01/26/2010

30% of Dems agree:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/32039.html