TRANSPORT UNIONS SAY RAHM EMANUEL LEADING DOT WOULD BE A "BETRAYAL"

[ForgoTheConsequence]

“Rahm Emanuel would be a nightmare. And a betrayal,” said John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, which represents 150,000 workers in more than 100 local unions. The union endorsed Biden in May and was one of several major transport unions that backed his campaign. “The trade union movement in transportation worked extremely hard to get Joe Biden elected,” he said, particularly in Pennsylvania, where the union represents Philadelphia’s SEPTA transit, rail, and bus workers.

https://theintercept.com/2020/12/01/transportation-unions-biden-rahm-emanuel/

[WhiskeyGrinder]

1. Even more reasons he should not be considered.

Besides the obvious, of course.

[elleng]

4. 'Obvious?'

[WhiskeyGrinder]

14. Oof, that looks shitty, doesn't it?

I meant his record.

[elleng]

15. Thanks.

[JanMichael]

2. Rahm is a terrible choice for DOT or any other post that requires decency.

I don't even know why people think he is a Dem. He isn't a Repuke either but is isn't a very decent person.

Why in the hell would Biden choose Rahm for any position with influence over working class people?

[elleng]

3. Why 'betrayal?'

I've read that he's been solid re: transportation issues in Chicago?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. He's divisive.

From the article:

As mayor of Chicago from 2011 to 2019, Emanuel faced off with unions representing teachers and city employees. Emanuel pursued legislation making it harder for teachers to strike, laid off hundreds of teachers and school staff, closed some 50 schools, and threatened to lay off hundreds more city employees to cut costs in favor of privatizing city services. Chicago teachers went on their first strike in a quarter of a decade during Emanuel’s first term, setting off a wave of teacher strikes in a handful of states. City workers fought Emanuel’s efforts to require them to pay more to receive their pension benefits. Despite this record, Emanuel had some labor support during his 2015 mayoral reelection campaign, with unions split between him and his opponent, now Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García.

[elleng]

8. Thanks.

Not a very satisfying situation, it seems. It appears rahm has had 'good' relations with Dem party.

[Pompoy]

13. Chicago teachers went on their first strike in a quarter of a decade? Lol! n/t

[SMC22307]

6. Emanuel is a total re-tread. Isn't there ANYONE else - fresh blood?!?! (n/t)

[theaocp]

7. It would be more interesting to know

Which Republican feathers he ruffles. I see no upside to Rahm at all.

[NurseJackie]

9. I'm glad that Biden doesn't feel beholden to anyone. Endorsements should not be a quid pro quo...

I'm glad that Biden doesn't feel beholden to anyone. Union endorsements should not be a quid pro quo arrangement. Nor should union leaders get to dictate to Biden who he gets to add to his team. Is that what John Samuelsen was expecting? It's my hope that the union chose to endorse Biden NOT because of what THEY felt they could get out of it, or what THEY felt that they deserved in return. I hope also that they don't feel entitled to threaten or bully Biden. Instead, I hope they endorsed him because they knew and understood that Biden was the best choice for our nation. It's not Rahm Emanuel who creates policy, it's Joe Biden who does that. It's the Biden administration, not the Rahm Emanuel administration. His obligation would only to see that Biden's vision and agenda are met. I trust Joe Biden to make the right choice.

EDIT: Can you imagine the GLEE from Biden's political enemies and other similar types who would love to crow about how Biden is "weak" because he "caved" to union pressure? Biden is no lightweight. Biden is not corrupt. He knows what he's doing. He deserves a cabinet of his choice.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

10. Have fun losing more and more of the union vote every year.

The rank and file aren't going to turn out if they feel betrayed. Apparently, you think politics ends after the votes are counted.

[NurseJackie]

11. Ah... threats.

Have fun losing more and more of the union vote every year.

Have fun letting more and more jerks like Trump win by refusing to support the Democrat. (See how that works?)

[Caliman73]

12. Sure, he should not be beholden, but he should respect input from people who helped elect him.

Unions understand that the Democratic Party is the best vehicle to achieve some of their goals. The problem is that Emmanuel is the antithesis of those goals. He is plain and simple, a corporate loving, privatization pushing Democrat and especially in transportation, where there is still a fairly substantial Union presence as an industry, appoint Emmanuel would be a slap in the face.

Make Emmanuel ambassador to somewhere, even somewhere important, but don't put him in charge of a department where Unions have provided a backbone to the workers.

If the choice is Emmanuel for DOT, then Joe does not have my confidence for this pick. I agree that Biden is not corrupt, that he is not a lightweight, but Biden has been wrong before. Remember that he pushed the crime bill, BIG TIME, the good thing is that he admitted it was a mistake. Hopefully he will listen to Union members and avoid the mistake of choosing Emmanuel for DOT.