Unions spend big in Chicago City Council races

[Omaha Steve]

Now you know why the Koch's don't like unions! Rachel, Ed, and others have talked about this many times.

OS


By Hal Dardick and John Byrne
Chicago Tribune

Just as deep-pocketed business leaders are contributing cash to help Mayor Rahm Emanuel maintain a City Council that backs his agenda, major unions are doling out dollars to try to reshape a council more to their liking.

Unions funded by rank-and-file workers spent nearly $1.7 million on last week's aldermanic elections in direct contributions and on broadcast ads, mailers and polling, according to campaign finance and union records. That's more than double the $820,000 or so spent by Chicago Forward, a pro-Emanuel super PAC fueled by contributions from corporate interests.

Both the unions and Chicago Forward scored victories — and suffered losses. It's harder to quantify the union results because different unions sometimes backed different candidates, particularly when it came to the more left-leaning Chicago Teachers Union. But in general, the unions scored more wins than losses and managed to push a handful of incumbents into runoffs.

Chicago Forward saw 18 of its candidates win on Election Day, but about a dozen are headed into April 7 runoffs after failing to secure a majority of the vote. Another two candidates lost outright.

FULL story at link.

[madville]

1. Chicago has big fiscal issues in the near future

They are looking at some potential credit downgrades if the courts rule in favor of the retirees and unions in a couple of cases about the pensions and changes made to kick the can on the shortfalls. It will start snowballing if they get downgraded and then can't make the higher payments and interest that triggers in their current deals.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/exclusive-chicago-rating-downgrade-could-end-swaps-deals-174532024--finance.html

[Savannahmann]

2. Many people forget the Unions are a vital part of any Democratic strategy.

The Party can't win elections without the Unions, I'm talking about the Presidential elections. Unions provide money, certainly, but also provide mailing lists, voters, and volunteers who man phone banks, drive voters to the polls, and attend rallies to increase the passion for the candidate.

Think back, how many events has President Obama attended where the crowd was made up mostly of people wearing Union shirts and hats? How many Democratic Politicians have spoken at such events? So making sure our policies see to the needs of the Unions is obviously vital, because the help that is given, can be taken away.

No, I'm not suggesting that the Unions will switch sides, but they can reduce the money donated, and they can avoid providing the people for the events, and the volunteers for the campaign. That would impact our efforts dramatically. One of those things we can't afford to lose is Union support, and the Unions are telling us to avoid the TPP like the plague. So supporting the TPP will be a big litmus test for the Unions.

No, this is not just my opinion, or I should say it is an educated opinion. http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/Poll-Shows-Voters-Will-Hold-Lawmakers-Accountable-for-Fast-Track-Support

A new poll shows that the controversy and concern over fast track trade authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement resonates far beyond Washington, D.C., and that lawmakers who support flawed, job-killing trade deals do so at their own risk.

The poll shows that if Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sides with Senate Republicans and the Obama administration and votes for fast track, he’ll likely pay a price at the ballot box in his 2016 reelection bid.

According to the new poll conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP) on behalf of Democracy for America, half (50%) of all Oregon voters would be less likely to vote for Wyden in his 2016 reelection if he voted for fast track authority.

Senator Wyden is a popular Senator from his state. The Unions are telling us what they can't afford, and that is further erosion of the American manufacturing base. So the question is this, will we listen to this cornerstone of the traditional Democratic Party power? Or will we ignore their warnings, and suffer the inevitable defeat that would result in?

We see how much effect the Unions can have in local elections, do we dare take them for granted or worse, ignore them completely, when the Presidency is on the line?