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Labor Political Activity

Labor Political Activity. Class 1 or 3. Administrative. Not too early to be studying for the final exam. Review – Unions and the Disadvantaged. Unions racist and sexist but perhaps less so than the society as a whole Law forbids union discrimination or union to cause employer to discriminate

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Labor Political Activity

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  1. Labor Political Activity Class 1 or 3

  2. Administrative • Not too early to be studying for the final exam

  3. Review – Unions and the Disadvantaged • Unions racist and sexist but perhaps less so than the society as a whole • Law forbids union discrimination or union to cause employer to discriminate • Women and minorities making some gains in getting to union office but still significantly underrepresented

  4. Today • The Pre-AFL Period • The AFL Period • The Split Period • The Post-Merger Period

  5. I. The Pre-AFL Period Early Labor Parties • Workingmen’s Party of Philadelphia • Growth of workers’ parties in the 1830s • Died out by end of the Jacksonian Period

  6. Late 19th Century • Workingmen’s Party of the United States • National Greenback Labor Party • New York Mayoral Election ‑ 1886 • Unions joined together and nominated Henry George • Who was Henry George?

  7. II. The AFL Period • Early objective of political action – ease legal restrictions on unions • Approach to politics – voluntarism • Opposed a labor party • Relied exclusively on lobbying

  8. Early Electoral Activity • Prompted by increased use of injunctions • 1906 campaigned against Chair of House Judiciary Committee • Gompers began to take personal public positions on presidential elections

  9. Election of 1924 • 1922 Chicago meeting formed the Conference for Progressive Political Action • Republicans nominated Coolidge and Democrats nominated John W. Davis • C.P.P.A. then nominated Senator Robert LaFollette of Wisconsin

  10. CPPA Platform 1924 • Government ownership of railroads • Relief for farmers • Anti‑monopoly • Anti‑injunction • Favored constitutional amendment to limit Supreme Court's power to invalidate laws of Congress

  11. 1924 Election • AFL Executive Council hesitated but formally endorsed LaFollette • LaFollette won 17% of the vote • Still, AFL viewed this as disaster

  12. III. The Period of the Split Changes in the Democratic Party • Entered 1920's with predominantly Anglo‑Saxon, Protestant, Rural tradition • 1928 the forces of the urban areas, new immigrants, Catholics, Jews, eastern working class, rallied around Al Smith and secured him nomination • Helped establish Democrats as party of working class

  13. The CIO and Political Action • Labor's Non‑Partisan League supported FDR in 1936 • Lewis supported Willkie in 1940 • CIO‑PAC supported Roosevelt in 1944

  14. AFL in the Split Period • Passage of Taft-Hartley • Use of National Emergency Injunctions • These convinced the AFL of the need to get involved politically • Prior to 1952 election, AFL established Labor’s League for Political Education

  15. IV. The Post-Merger Period • Structure • Electoral Activities and lobbying separate • AFL‑CIO COPE • Policy • Supported Democratic candidate in every election through 1968 • 1972 rejected McGovern • Have supported Democratic candidate in every election since 1972

  16. Next Time • Public Policy on Labor Electoral Activity • Labor Lobbying Activity • Importance of Labor Political Activity

  17. Labor Political Activity Class 2 of 3 Recent Elections and COPE’S Tactics

  18. Administrative • Final exam reminder • If you haven’t seen me about your essay, you must do that • Quiz reminder

  19. Review • Labor Parties largely disappeared due to lack of class consciousness and their issues being absorbed by major parties • Gradual shift from non-political stance to active participation in electoral politics • Non-partisanship and relationship to Democrats

  20. Today • Recent Elections • COPE’s Electoral Techniques

  21. I. Recent Elections • Supported Clinton • Supported Gore in 2000 • Large independent expenditures in 1996 and 2000 Congressional races • Impact on Voting

  22. I. 2004 Election • 2004 both union-supported Democratic candidates eliminated • Supported John Kerry • Money spent (much greater than money donated) • Union voters

  23. I. 2006 Election • Unions worked extremely hard to elect a Democratic Congress • Central NY Labor Council endorsed mostly Democrats but a few Republicans

  24. I. 2008 Election • Change in business PAC donations between 2006 and 2007 • February 2008, several major unions came out for Obama • Some unions have supported Clinton • Most major unions will support the Democrat, whoever it is, against Republican John McCain

  25. II. COPE’s Electoral Techniques COPE structure • Divided into national, state and local bodies • National COPE • Headed by former CWA Political Director Steve Rosenthal • Endorses presidential candidates • State endorsements largely based on National COPE’s ratings of Congressional representatives

  26. II. COPE’s Strategy and Tactics • Non-partisanship and relationship to the Democrats • Financial Assistance to candidates • Relatively small amounts of money compared to business PACs • Still this is a sizable amount to Democrats who are normally outspent

  27. II. Registration and Get-out-the-vote drives • Identifying precincts which tend to vote Democratic • Leafleting workplaces and homes in such areas • Phoning on election day, driving people to polls, minding kids, etc.

  28. II. COPE’s Strategy and Tactics • Voter Education • Loans of skilled organizational personnel to campaigns, often union officers on paid leave • Organizational support more important than financial support • Research indicates COPE endorsements and support do translate into more votes by unionists and their families

  29. Next Time • Legal Regulation of Union Political Activity • Union Lobbying

  30. Labor and Politics Class 3 of 3

  31. Administrative • Have you all seen me about your essays?

  32. Review • History of early labor union political activity including importance of voluntarism and non-partisanship • Unions in recent elections • Campaign strategy and tactics of COPE

  33. Today • Legal Regulation of Labor Electoral Activity • Labor Lobbying Activity • Importance of Labor Political Activity

  34. I. Legal Regulation of Labor Electoral Activity Prohibition on contribution of dues money to candidates in federal elections or expenditures related to federal elections • Originated in Smith-Connally (1943) and continued in Taft-Hartley (1947) • Corporations similarly restricted

  35. I. Relevant Cases • USA v. CIO • IAM v. Street • CWA v. Beck • 2001 President Bush issued Executive Order requiring federal contractors to post notices that workers are entitled to such rebates • Lax Enforcement

  36. I. Federal Election Campaign Act (1971) Excluded from the ban • Union communications to members and their families on any subject permitted • Non‑partisan registration and get out the vote drives aimed at members and their families permitted • Activities financed by voluntary contributions permitted

  37. I. 1974 (Watergate) Amendments • A PAC (union, business or otherwise) cannot contribute more than $5000 to any candidate • Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

  38. I. McCain-Feingold (2002) • Prohibits national party organizations from raising or spending certain types of soft money • Prohibits federal candidates from raising or spending soft money • Raised dollar limit on hard money contributions

  39. I. Current Law • “527” organizations are the new way around the soft money ban • Individuals can give up to $25,000 per year to party organizations – soft money

  40. I. Unions under Current Law • Union can use dues to establish a PAC and solicit contributions • Unions may conduct nonpartisan or partisan "get‑out‑the‑vote" drives among members • Unions may sponsor non‑partisan "get‑out‑the‑vote" drives among nonmembers only if co‑sponsored by a non‑partisan civic body, e.g. League of Women Voters • A union may engage in unlimited independent expenditure (not solicited or controlled by the candidate) aimed at its members

  41. I. New York State Law • Companies can donate $5000 each to candidate • But so can each subsidiary • Can make unlimited donations to PACs, which can each donate up to $50,100 to each candidate • Unions can donate $50,100 to candidate • More to parties

  42. II. Lobbying Activity • AFL-CIO has full-time lobbying operation • Often cooperate with other union lobbyists or even other specialist lobbyists: e.g. NAACP, Common Cause, AARP, etc. • Effectiveness

  43. II. Lobbying Issues • Narrow areas of labor policy ‑ regulation of collective bargaining and union affairs • Broad areas of labor policy - affect union and nonunion employees • Areas of general economic policy • Areas of general social policy

  44. III. Importance of Labor Political Activity • Who speaks for business interests? • Who speaks for working people?

  45. Next Time • Final lecture • Discussion of final exam • Course Evaluation

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