AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is warning Democrats that they should push organized labor’s agenda more aggressively, lest they lose union support. And then what?
As the Huffington Post’s Sam Stein notes, “The typical response from [Democratic] party insiders has been dismissive assumptions that labor has nowhere else to go.”
Stein also notes that in his prepared remarks, Trumka says the labor federation he heads will consider supporting “Republican lawmakers [who] embrace parts of the AFL-CIO’s agenda” — the likelihood of which is minimal.
So what are unions to do?
Trumka’s threat rings hollow. Organized labor cannot abandon politics altogether. Today, more union members work for government entities than for private businesses, so unions are now more dependent on government than ever.
Labor leaders are stuck with supporting Democrats, whether they like it or not. They might have reason for worry in that the Democrats, by being well aware of that, might feel less beholden to union demands.
More at CEI’s Openmarket.
