Progressives are flipping out over the ILWU decision to quit the AFL-CIO. Here's a sample from the Daily KOS:
Daily KOS: ILWU Breaks with AFL-CIO
by Karen from Maui, September 1, 2013 (excerpt)
...forgive us if we in Hawai'i have doubts about the ILWU's self-described progressivism.
As outsourcing, the economic crash and a concerted war on unions by the right cuts into the percentage of unionized jobs, the Hawai'i ILWU has come up with the, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" strategy. In return for unionizing, a corporation immediately acquires an effective lobbying team lead by ILWU Business Agent, Jason Medeiros.
Want to pave over a rare dryland forest and Hawaiian archeological sites to make a gated development for millionaires? Promise to unionize the project and ILWU will be out in force testifying at the County Council that this formerly agricultural zoned land should be changed to urban designation.
Want to burn sugarcane 9 months out of the year immediately adjacent to residents' homes, giving Maui the second highest incidence of asthma in the nation? Unionize your cane workers with ILWU and they'll intimidate anyone who dares speak out against the practice.
Are you one of the biggest corporations in Hawai'i (Alexander & Baldwin) and want to go on taking water from the Hawaiian taro farmers? Unionize with ILWU and you'll get them resolving to get more water for you even as residents are put on water rationing.
Resolution to Support the Viability of Sugar Cane Production in Hawaii
For more than a century, sugarcane was the principal crop grown in Hawaii. The ILWU supports sugarcane production and Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company, the last sugar plantation in Hawaii. The ILWU will urge the Commission on Water Resource Management for a fair allocation of water that will allow HC&S to survive.
(Note HC&S parent company is Alexander & Baldwin and HC&S already takes more water than the entire County of Maui water department)
Want to cover one-fourth of the island of Lana'i with wind turbines? Unionize the hotels you own with ILWU and they'll threaten anyone who puts an anti-turbine sign on their lawn.
These “proponents” are hotel workers (our largest employee group) who have been told that if they do not support Murdock’s plan he will close the schools and the hospital (state owned and run facilities) and the hotels. ILWU leadership has told their members that there will be jobs galore (although they fail to mention this wouldn’t be for almost 5+ years) despite HECO clearly informing residents over 3 years ago that “...this is not a jobs creator.”
So. We are just a teensy bit doubtful about progressivism being the reason for ILWU's break with AFL-CIO.
ILWU Business Manager, Jason Meideros who is in charge of what we'd characterize as the "Hawai'i ILWU corporate-friendly lobbying" activities got so angry at environmentalists constantly testifying against his corporate friends' pave-over-Hawai'i projects that he said,
"I'm going to fuck with the environmentalists even if I don't have a dog in the fight"
Perhaps the Hawai'i ILWU should rewrite their motto:
An injury to one of our corporate employers is an injury to all....
read ... The Entire Article
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Background: ILWU Quits AFL-CIO Over Obamacare, Union Raids