Tuesday, September 23, 2008

IUOE Local 18 Loses Its Mind

The Plain Dealer covered John McCain's visit to the Cleveland area but the real story wasn't the actual visit or the prepared remarks:
Pool report: Republican presidential candidate John McCain spoke briefly this morning at a construction site at Interstate 71 and Ohio 82, where he promised to bring jobs to Ohio and accepted the endorsement of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 18.
Unions typically endorse democratic candidates but that's quickly becoming the conventional wisdom these days. The Cleveland chapter of the International Union of Operating Engineers lent Republican John McCain their endorsement today. The sanction was given despite his party's track record of marginalizing unions and rampant support of free trade agreements. They appear to be an outlier unlike the large manufacturing unions like the UAW or other major players like the S.E.I.U. and A.F.S.C.M.E. who will most certainly put there muscle behind the Obama campaign this fall. One thing that makes the I.U.O.E different is that they are a construction union and per their website the contractors they are affiliated with are small family owned businesses. This is exactly the group of voters that McCain is trying to woo with his unrelenting "Obama will raise your taxes" mantra. That being said whatever happend to union brotherhood?

The blue collar tweekers are usually mobilized to help out the Democratic candidate but in Ohio in 2008 nothing can be taken for granted. Now I don't foresee more unions peeling off in great numbers to endorse a candidate that most likely does not have their best interest at heart but any movement from the norm is not a welcome sign. Obama will need all the support of the traditional Democratic base and then some if he thinks he is going to win the Buckeye State. Union Yes, McCain No.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just picked up on your blog and fully agree with you that the local Operating Engineers hall has "lost its mind".

In many cases voters do not vote with their economic self interest in mind. This is an potential example of union members doing the same. Let's hope the rank and file don't follow their leadership. Union yes!

bendygirl said...

I think you missed something else, IUOE endorsed Obama. Many of its locals also endorsed in the primary (Obama that is). That adds to your point about local 18 losing its mind.

Don't you think it's time for Sink to go? I'm hoping IUOE local 18 take a sgood hard look at itself and what exactly Sink is try to accomplish for it by taking ont to some who supports the elimination of unions and collective bargaining.

Anonymous said...

JUST RECEIVED THE LETTER IN TODAY'S MAIL FROM PATRICK SINK AND HIS POOR POOR JUDGEMENT IN SUPPORTING MCCAIN/PALIN. SAYING THAT MCCAIN SAID HE WOULD BRING WORK TO OHIO. BULL!!IF YOU CAN BELIEVE A MAN WHO HAS BEEN WITH A LIAR FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS; YOU ARE NOT RIGHT. OBVIOUSLY SINK MUST HAVE A POSTION WAITING FOR HIM WITH THE MCCAIN/PALIN TICKET. GET THIS GUY OUT OF THE IUOE LOCAL 18. THIS COULD COST OHIO VOTES ON TUESDAY FOR THE PARTY THAT SUPPORTS UNIONS; NOT WALMART.