Unions Got McAuliffe’s Back in Virginia Race

mcWhy are labor unions pouring money into the Virginia governor’s race?   They have nothing to lose if Ken Cuccinelli wins but a heck of a lot to gain if Terry McAuliffe wins.

The AFL-CIO resolved at its convention last month  to develop a Southern Strategy – a strategy to expand union memberships and destroy right-to-work laws.  As a right-to-work State, Virginia is in the cross-hairs.

McAuliffe’s union ties go back a long way–all the way to the Clinton years–and he is known for rewarding his friends.  Hillary says that “Terry’s more wired than your local electric plant,” and she should know.  McAuliffe raised about $275 million for Bill Clinton’s election campaigns, the 1997 inaugural celebration, a legal defense trust, the millennium festivities, the presidential library,  Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign and a few projects that we will never read about.

In addition to destruction of Virginia’s right-to-work law,  the unions know that McAuliffe would funnel taxpayer money through  Project Labor Agreements  cutting out any business that is non-union while increasing project costs to taxpayers.

In a recent debate, McAuliffe said he would support giving public safety entities [police, firefighters]  collective bargaining rights in Virginia.   He refused however, to say whether or not he supported card check but it’s a given.   Card Check is being pushed by the Obama administration to boost union membership by removing the right of secret ballot.

Ralph Northam, the democratic candidate for Lt. Governor is also a key union supporter.  He has repeatedly voted against making right-to-work a constitutional right in Virginia.    He also blocked an amendment to Virginia’s Constitution guaranteeing worker’s right to a secret ballot in union elections (card check).   Northam also voted against legislation abolishing mandatory Project Labor Agreements (PLA) for state funded projects and joined with Virginia Senate democrats to hold the 2013-14 budget hostage in an attempt to protect PLAs demanding any language that would restrict union friendly labor agreements stricken from the budget.

Unions that expect to receive generous rewards from a McAuliffe governorship include:

  • $536,549 Service Employees International Union
  • $390,106 United Steelworkers of America
  • $343,530 American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
  • $250,000 Firefighters – International Assn
  • $250,000 Laborers’ International Union of North America
  • $200,000 United Food & Commercial Workers
  • $150,000 Communication Workers of America
  • $125,000 American Federation of Teachers
  • $100,000 National Education Assn
  • $50,000 United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry
  • $50,000 United Steelworkers of America Dist 8
  • $25,000 Machinists Non-Partisan Political League
  • $25,000 Office and Professional Employees International Union Voice of Electorate PAC
  • $20,000 Intl Brotherhood of Teamsters
  • $20,000 Va AFL-CIO
  • $15,000 International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
  • $10,000 Intl Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftsmen
  • $10,000 Service Employees International Union – Local 32BJ
  • $5,173 Va Education Assn
  • $5,000 American Fed State County Mun Employees – Maryland Council 2
  • $5,000 Firefighters – Local 2068
  • $5,000 Intl Longshoremen’s Assn
  • $5,000 National Rural Letter Carriers Assn
  • $5,000 United Mineworkers of America (UMW)
  • $5,000 Va Governmental Employees Assn
  • $4,298 AFL-CIO
  • $3,000 Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen

This does not include the amount of money unions have spent on television ads.  The National Education Association which not only expects to receive “favors” and adoption of  “Common Core” has purchased over $519,000 in advertisements so far.

I cannot tell you how to vote but I can promise you that a vote for an Obama “wanna be,” a  progressive, far-left Democrat with union ties up to his eye-brows,  will take Virginia to the dark-side.

 

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