AFL-CIO President Trumka: 'We Did Our Job' In 2010

At various junctures during the 2010 cycle, the lack of enthusiasm among labor organizations and, more specifically, union workers, appeared like it would seriously hamper the Democratic Party's chances. Labor itself fed the notion, cognizant that lawmakers would be more attentive to their needs if their political help wasn't taken for granted.

Well, unions didn't sit out the election. They spent big money. And while the checks and campaign efforts came up short, on Wednesday morning one of the leading figures in the movement made the case that if Democrats wanted a scapegoat it wasn't labor.

"We did our job," Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, told the Huffington Post. "No matter what demographic, you look at our membership, we had large margins for progressive candidates approaching 30, with Harry Reid it was higher. We voted 69 to 29 for him which is a 40 percent margin. So we educated out people we got them out to the polls and they voted in large numbers. Unfortunately, the rest of society was over-large in the other way."

Speaking earlier at a breakfast organized by the National Journal, the AFL-CIO header made a similar case. In some of the high-profile races that Democrats did win (namely, a group of them in the Senate) some of their best turnout margins came from the union vote.

"There was an enthusiasm gap early on with our members," Trumka acknowledged, addressing, specifically, Congress' inability to pass the pro-union Employee Free Choice Act. "But the more information we gave them... it had less effect."

Touting the electoral impact of the AFL-CIO is, of course, a preliminary function of its president's job. And while Trumka's remarks served, in a way, as a preemptive defense of his organization before the recriminations begin on the Democratic side of the aisle, it also was a flag planting of sorts for future elections and policy-making.

"I think [Democrats] are cognizant of what we did and if they aren't they should pay heed to it," he said.

Comments

[tosc]

08:20 AM on 11/04/2010

are there still unions out there? I am amazed....I thought unions were a thing of the business world's past. Being a teacher and having worked for both unionized and non unionized schools...I can tell ya I completely understand now, the true protective service unions provide. Working for a charter school in Brooklyn and witnessing the 10-12-14 hour days those teachers put in to meet the daily requirements to teach students with no overtime pay or bonus. You work it or look for another job.

[Jim Elkins]

12:09 AM on 11/04/2010

SEIU members were busy checking Harry Reid's name on all the voting machines!!!

[Jim Elkins]

12:08 AM on 11/04/2010

The secret union ballot initiatives PASSED in EVERY state they were on the ballot!

[Bryan Gray]

10:17 PM on 11/03/2010

“http://www .youtube.c om/watch?v =QDS2LScjk Nc&feature =share”

[MountPanic]

08:11 PM on 11/03/2010

The ONLY people giving the unions blame OR credit for anything is the conspiracy wing of the Republibagger/Fox Corp.

[ted drunk]

10:53 PM on 11/03/2010

I don't think that's the truth, this election, the unions weren't very effective at all. Fox isn't saying anything about them

[MountPanic]

08:54 PM on 11/04/2010

Which is (partly) what I'm saying. They're ineffective organizations with an ever-diminishing role, despite the fact that we actually really NEED someone representing labor in America.

No one talks about them AFTER an election, but they still make handy straw men for paranoid right-wing loudmouths.

[Jim Elkins]

12:07 AM on 11/04/2010

But keep sending your money to Trumka!!!

[Doc P]

07:51 PM on 11/03/2010

Yeah, you did. Democrats needed to do more, to excite the base. It seemed like every major legislation was neutered and the air was just let out.

[DrJykell]

06:21 PM on 11/03/2010

the bankers want progressives out of the federal govt,,, and the dem party turned conservative...
Obama and his Clinton administration has adopted the blu dogs as their vision of the future for
the democratic party.... Progressives will now be considered far left and anyone questioning the banking cartels will be shut out of the political process,, one way or the other..

the plutocracy continues...

[Laws456]

08:33 AM on 11/04/2010

Damn, I agree to 10th power. I often ask people on this site, what would they consider the far left, and the answers I usually get are Black Bloc anarchists or Code Pink. I don't know if I would call the bloc far left, but ok, they don't really make much noise until the WTO, or the G8 come to town. Code Pink, they only want the occupations to end, such a radical idea. Orwell is so confused right now...

[pipetoe]

05:35 PM on 11/03/2010

Unions need to become more realistic....They are good to a point; but .....

[caveman1313]

05:34 PM on 11/03/2010

the nice weather most of the country had was to blame. dems were out enjoying the nice weather rather than voting.

[caveman1313]

05:32 PM on 11/03/2010

that awful democrat "D" symbol that was unveiled a couple of months ago is to blame.

[ted drunk]

07:52 PM on 11/03/2010

LOL..great point caveman..that "D" logo is pathetic. In fact the whole site is pathetic.

[SPQR1052]

04:52 PM on 11/03/2010

Richard Trumka and the union members did their jobs, point. Blame the media and the American public's ignorance , White House and HP and Gays and other "single issue" voters who could not stop whining at least 3 months ago and organize.

The White House Press Secretary toldyoumonths ago..

I predicted a House loss one year ago because I know DEMS - No cones.

[Trogenhorse]

12:35 AM on 11/04/2010

I hate to say you have a point, but there is at least a small bit of truth in your post.
There is plenty of blame to share.
Every day for the past 3-4 months dems and progressives were tearing each other apart. Not able to come together on issues, and focus on the republicans.
Mean while, the republicans spent all year defining the dems as the "take over " party.
Fear over the economy won out.
The president worked his tail off- but too late in the game
Dems ran from their records
The media blamed the president for everything including the cost of tea in China
Dems became despondent and didn't vote.

But today is a new day. What will we do differently?

[goodmarina]

04:45 PM on 11/03/2010

Tea-Party-2010 Said about the AFL-CIO:

"They are funded by taxpayer dollars, not private funds.
And you are right, without the taxpayers, your unions wouldn't have a chair to lean on"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let the delusional lunatic spinning continue ... it is almost as if the Tea party-type folks have Borderline Personality Disorder with a tendency to twist sentences & circumstances in order to change its meaning to suit their own agenda AND ... vehemently believe it is accurate!

Yes union members are tax payers; however, to suggest that therefore it is funded by taxpayers is a fallacy. The attempt is to allude that the government (The People) fund the unions.

Unions are voluntary organizations funded by willing participants who happened to pay taxes like anyone else.. Often ach participant might make a couple of hundred dollars in annual contributions to ensure that their rights are spoken for -- COLLECTIVELY

Whereas, BIG Corporations pay millions on behalf of one person (at times) or their focus is Business interest -- specifically, how to keep profits up while keeping Workers' interest minimally.

What is wrong with tax payers uniting for everyday causes such as Jobs, better benefits, and safe working conditions?

There's nothing indecent about Collective bargaining - now more than ever where Big Business is able to buy their way through Congress.

[Trogenhorse]

12:47 AM on 11/04/2010

the tea party has its own battles to fight in congress. Sit back and watch them power grab. Don't tread on me will be what they say to the repubs when they find out the repubs have no interest in sharing power.

[FOXYROSE]

04:17 PM on 11/03/2010

NY is a big union/corrupt career politian cesspool - that's why we are taxed to death and that's why the middle class is leaving the state. Let the unions and welfare queens have it!

[Mondieu]

06:58 PM on 11/03/2010

Too Late. It's already owned by Wall Street.

[FOXYROSE]

04:16 PM on 11/03/2010

4 Billion spent on the mid terms, 2 Billion from unions - should have taken that 2 Billion and put it in the pension fund, don't expect the rest of us to bail you out!

[pfz]

06:13 PM on 11/03/2010

Thats a bit high, were did you get those figures?

[Doc P]

07:51 PM on 11/03/2010

Dumb, just a plain ole dumb comment. You dont have the first clue as to how it works.

[JTHC75]

04:02 PM on 11/03/2010

Well, Trumka is correct--the unions did not go in soft this election.

[pipetoe]

05:32 PM on 11/03/2010

when do they ever.