Paul Ryan’s Kind of Union
For conservatives, Paul Ryan’s one possible weakness is that he’s not vociferously anti-union enough. After all, he supports the Davis-Bacon Act. He also voted for the auto bailout. But don’t let this fool anyone. There’s a particular kind of union Ryan likes: a corrupt building trades union that contributes to his campaign and threatens violence against dissenters. And even this he does because it helps the family business. How bad is this local with ties to Ryan–it was the only local union in Wisconsin to support Scott Walker.
Doesn’t LGM officially endorse Bacon?
Bacon and Playdoh is endorsed I think, not Davis-Bacon
For some reason I’m having Calvin & Hobbes flashbacks.
it was the only local union in Wisconsin to support Scott Walker.
The only private-sector union; police and firefighters also supported him.
Up until he screwed over public workers.
the Milwaukee professional police association endorsed Walker in the recall election. The other police unions and the fire union endorsed Barrett.
Dissent:
Because a union supports a particular Republican candidate in a particular race does not make that union corrupt.
Because a local of IUOE is in a dispute with one of its members over hiring practices does not make the IUOE a corrupt union, or mean that that particular local is a corrupt one.
IUOE, like a number of other unions, has periodic problems with corruption among its officials. That puts it in the same category as the US Congress and any one of dozens of Fortune 500 companies.
I don’t like Ryan any more that you do, but let’s not lose or heads.
Well, Bruce Vail, just like a lunch pail Republican to get your facts wrong.
The union discussed in Mike Elk’s IN THESE TIMES article, “Paul Ryan Closely Tied to Corrupt Union…”, of August 13, 2012, is local 139, Operating Engineers, covering all of Wisconsin. http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/13669/paul_ryan_closely_tied_to_union_that_violently_threatened_union_dissidents/
Local 139 has a decades long, documented history of discrimination, retaliation and preferential treatment in its hiring hall. Local 139 recently paid out to 10, count ‘em Bruce, 10 women and minorities nearly $1.5 MILLION dollars in a hiring hall discrimination lawsuit settlement. These illegal practices continue to this day. A steady documented flow of NLRB complaints against 139 and their hiring hall, further verifies their continued illegal practices.
Local 139 union and political boss Gooch McGowan has supported more than 1 anti-union Republican politician as you have so authoritatively and wrongly stated. Most notably, union busting WI Gov Scott Walker (twice, even during Walker’s support and signing of Act 10, the public union busting law) and of course Rep Paul RYAN.
Bruce, you could make anyone bust out laughing at your “periodic problems with corruption” comment. Just Google Operating Engineers – or – IUOE – or – International Union of Operating Engineers AND corruption, and learn about bribery, conspiracy, RICO viols, threats and violence against union and non-union operating engineers and employers, ghost employees, extortion, embezzlement……….You WILL get the picture.
Get your collective union heads out of the sand, be brave, and demand from your union “leaders” openness, transparency and accountability. Until then, quit be’in deniers. That’s an anti-union Republican quality that real union members can’t afford.
tellfred