Considering the general Republican disdain for helping ordinary citizens cling to their middle class status, it comes as a shock to see two major Missouri unions endorse Tom Dempsey in Tuesday’s special election for the state Senate.
The Missouri Laborers’ Legislative Committee, which represents 14,000 members, and the Carpenters’ District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity, which represents 22,000 members, are endorsing Dempsey, mainly on the strength of his vote “to protect the prevailing wage.” He voted as a state rep, in other words, for a law requiring that major government construction projects must pay workers the prevailing local wage.
Since many of the unions’ members in St. Charles are social conservatives, the union leaders apparently feel they must consider endorsing any Republican who votes labors’ way on particular laws. Even if Republicans do knock 100,000 desperate people off Medicaid. Even if they work to eliminate a non-partisan system for selecting judges in favor of a system where judges will be bought by campaign contributions. Even if they do harm public schools by favoring vouchers. Even if they do overturn the campaign contribution limits that Missouri’s voters set, so that they can sell themselves to the richest buyers.
The unions are in the business of protecting their workers’ wages and working conditions. They don’t figure it’s their job to decide for their workers what to think of these political issues.
Do you agree with them?
In 2004 labor endorsed then republican Chris Koster in the 31st District race.
I attended a state Democratic Committee meeting – I remember
an individual speaking up – saying something along the line that “labor endorsed someone in the opposition because he was ‘with them’, but may I remind everyone here, we’ve always been there for labor.”
It is clear that unions will support Republicans like Koster. His voting record is no different than Dempseys. I have supported many candidates over the years that I disagreed with many of their positions. I am pro choice and against conceal and carry but I have supported with my wallet and time Democrats that disagree with me on both those issues. I supported Frank Barnitz and Rachel Bringer both of which are much more sociallly coservative then myself. I think Wes Shoemyer is great. We have a big tent. But no tent should be so big that it allows political opportunists like the flopster who has a zero voting record on progressive issues to run as a statewide candidate as a Democrat.
There may be times in which a union endorses a Republican where a pro-labor Republcian faces an anti-labor Dem. That should be very rare, however.
The problem here is that electing a Republicna strengthens Republcian control of the legislature. That legislature screws workers.
I think it is an unfortunate decision by the Missouri Laborers’ Legislative Committee and the Carpenters’ District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicini. Nonetheless, it is their decision to make.
As Democrats, we should work with unions to make sure the Democratic candidate is so pro-labor that the unions never even have close calls with considering Republican candidates.