Really? The administration thinks it’s wise to screw unions over their benefits? I’d like to hear the rationale behind that:
Labor leaders who have spent months lobbying unsuccessfully for special protections under the Affordable Care Act warned this week that the White House’s continued refusal to help is dampening union support for Democratic candidates in this year’s midterm elections.
Leaders of two major unions, including the first to endorse Obama in 2008, said they have been betrayed by an administration that wooed their support for the 2009 legislation with promises to later address the peculiar needs of union-negotiated insurance plans that cover millions of workers.
Their complaints reflect a broad sense of disappointment among many labor leaders, who say the Affordable Care Act has subjected union health plans to new taxes and mandates while not allowing them to share in the subsidies that have gone to private insurance companies competing on the newly created exchanges.
After dozens of frustrating meetings with White House officials over the past year, including one with Obama, a number of angry labor officials say their members are far less likely to campaign and turn out for Democratic candidates in the midterm elections.
“Dampening support” “Far less likely to turn out” “Sense of disappointment”
Apparently Mr Obama has gotten the message that he can do whatever the heck he wants and the unions do not have the guts to turn their backs on him.
All “Cadillac Plans” are heavily taxed. High wage earners do not get subsidies. The entirety of the ACA was based on government subsidies to private insurance companies. The ACA is a corporate for-profit health care system. If the union leadership didn’t understand that then they are fools. If they did and went along with it anyway than they are even bigger fools. The unions should have held out for a single-payer universal health care system. If they had and made lots of noise about it we could have gotten one passed. But to now cry crocodile tears and refuse to support Democrats allowing Republicans to win in 2014 is akin to shooting yourself in the brain pan with 9mm.
Yeah, they’ve been making noises for five years and nothing ever happened.
Hah. Prove it. First the unions need to get rid of Obama. Then they need to get rid of their own leadership. Too bad they can’t think their way out of a wet paper sack.
You folks have heard of the Archdruid, John Michael Greer, right? Anyway, this is an item he will often warn against; i.e., if you have an “issue” that is of particular importance to you, try not to let that issue get associated with one of the two major political parties.
That party will help you at first, but after a while they will stop making any progress on your “issue” and simply take you for granted, with an attitude of “what are you going to do – let those other guys who totally despise your issue get elected? No, we haven’t done anything positive on your issue for years, but where else are you going to go?”
The answer is – go someplace else – even if it is to minor fringe parties. You have to prove to the party that supposedly supports your issue that they have to do something, and that you cannot be taken for granted.
Otherwise, they will start losing elections. And stick to it.
Dems can still use Repubs as their “Terra, terra, terra!” mantra for getting the voters in line with their oh, so very awful polices toward those same voters. Just as was done to voters to get us into unnecessary and costly wars, using fear is a great motivator for actions which do not help people.
And, Obama, as Corporatist in Chief, has done his job extremely well for the Big Bidness, Big Money crowd.
He extended the Bush tax cuts for the One Percenters, he’s been godawful for unions, he’s a bulwark against our Constitutional rights, he’s…dare I say it?…well, since I’ve written it in the past…Obama is actually worse than Bush Boy and Cheney. A