On this Labor Day, things are looking blue for Big Labor. Private-sector union membership continues to plummet - just 7 percent of the private work force is unionized, down from 15 percent just 25 years ago. And the union-cherished "card check" legislation, which would restrict the use of secret ballots in union elections - and therefore make it easier for the unions to swell their ranks - has had a rocky road in Congress and looks unlikely to become law anytime soon.
But Big Labor is not going gently into that good night. In fact, the shrinking membership rolls are making Big Labor organizations and their bosses more dependent than ever on their liberal allies in government, more desperate than ever for support from liberal politicians who hold the reins of power and can transfer taxpayer dollars to their pockets.
To that end, labor is gearing up for the political fight of its life. The twin labor powerhouses, the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), are pooling their resources and coordinating efforts to help elect as many pro-union candidates (read: liberals) as possible. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the terrible twosome claim to have a combined $88 million to deploy in support of favored candidates in 26 states, including congressional, gubernatorial and state legislature races in scorched-earth battlegrounds like Pennsylvania and Ohio.
And in the INDIANA 9th District! Here is a list of major donors to Baron Hill's campaign:
Top 20 Contributors to Campaign Cmte
Rank  | Contributor | Total | Indivs | PACs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eli Lilly & Co | $19,500 | $9,500 | $10,000 |
| 2 | Cook Group | $16,336 | $15,336 | $1,000 |
| 3 | Covanta Holding | $12,000 | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| 4 | Barnes & Thornburg | $11,650 | $9,650 | $2,000 |
| 5 | American Federation of Teachers | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 5 | American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 5 | AmeriPAC: The Fund for a Greater America | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 5 | AT&T Inc | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 5 | Blue Dog PAC | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 5 | BRIDGE PAC | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 5 | Carpenters & Joiners Union | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 5 | Laborers Union | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 5 | Operating Engineers Union | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 5 | PAC to the Future | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 5 | United Auto Workers | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 16 | Grocery Manufacturers Assn | $9,000 | $1,000 | $8,000 |
| 17 | Indiana University | $8,919 | $8,919 | $0 |
| 18 | Wal-Mart Stores | $8,500 | $0 | $8,500 |
| 19 | Verizon Communications | $8,000 | $1,000 | $7,000 |
| 20 | Altria Group | $7,500 | $0 | $7,500 |
| 20 | International Longshoremens Assn | $7,500 | $0 | $7,500 |
| 20 | MWH Global | $7,500 | $0 | $7,500 |
| 20 | Plumbers/Pipefitters Union | $7,500 | $0 | $7,500 |
No comments:
Post a Comment