This message was self-deleted by its author

[cali]

100. Bernie is my Senator. I love the guy

and I'm not suggesting that he's corrupt at all, but he does take corporate funding.

American Crystal Sugar is one example. Yes, it's a cooperative but that doesn't tell the true story.

UPDATE - This post has been updated with remarks from American Crystal Sugar below.

WASHINGTON - One of the most powerful labor unions in the country is urging 225 members of Congress, including eight members of Minnesota's 10 member delegation, to tell American Crystal Sugar to end a year-long lockout of workers in Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa and return the company's campaign contributions if it doesn't settle the labor dispute.

More than 1,300 unionized workers have been locked out of their jobs by the sugar beet processing cooperative since August 2011 when contract talks broke down and were replaced by non-union labor.

"I am sure you do not approve of this blatant disregard for working families and their communities," wrote AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in a letter to every member of Congress who has received the company's campaign contributions. "I am therefore asking you to use your influence and stature to insist that the company resolve this dispute immediately and end the lockout."

American Crystal Sugar is a big player on Capitol Hill, giving more than $1.5 million in campaign contributions to members of both parties since 2011, according to opensecrets.org. The company is a beneficiary of a government policy that restricts imports of sugar from overseas. DFL U.S. Sen. Al Franken and Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack are the only two members of Minnesota's congressional delegation who have not received campaign contributions from the company in this election cycle.

<snip>

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/polinaut/archive/2012/08/afl-cio_warns_c.shtml