By BERRY CRAIG
AFT Local 1360
We’ve all heard it, sadly even from some of our union brothers and sisters: "There’s no point in voting. Candidates are all the same, and none of them will do anything for me.”
That’s never been true.
Oh, some candidates can be pretty close on some issues. But that's hardly the case this time, notably not among those running for the General Assembly and for Congress in our state.
On union issues, there’s a world of difference between almost all the opposing candidates.
Click here to see the candidates your Kentucky State AFL-CIO endorsed.
When your state COPE committee meets to size up incumbents and challengers, the members don't get distracted by the so-called "social issues." You know what they are. You know they are the union busters' old sucker play to divide and conquer us.
Nor does the committee go by party label. Endorsements are based strictly on where office-holders and office-seekers stand on our issues--issues directly connected to our unions and our livelihoods.
True, most of our endorsed candidates are Democrats. That's not because they're Democrats. It's because Democrats are a lot more likely to be in our corner than Republicans are.
Anyway, the candidates we didn’t endorse either voted for or supported anti-worker bills pushed by GOP Gov. Matt Bevin and the Republican-majority House and Senate (and opposed by almost all Democrats).
They include
-- “Right to work”
-- Prevailing wage repeal
-- Reduced workers' compensation benefits, including black lung benefits for miners
-- Public pension “reform,” which robs from current and retired employees and forces most new hires into risky 401k-type retirement programs which are greatly inferior to traditional defined benefits plans
-- Charter schools, vouchers for private schools, and privatizing public education services
-- Hefty tax cuts for the rich and new sales taxes on services from auto repair to programs that churches, charities and other non-profit organizations depend on to raise money
Our endorsed candidates
-- Favor repealing “right to work”
-- Favor restoring the prevailing wage
-- Favor restoring workers’ compensation benefits
-- Favor fully-funded defined benefits pension plans
-- Oppose charter schools, vouchers for private schools and privatizing public education services
-- Favor a tax system based on the idea that the more money you make, the more taxes you should pay
As election day draw nearer, we're also hearing some union members say, "Why should I vote this time? They passed 'right to work,' repealed the prevailing wage and went after workers' comp. What else can they do to us?"
"Plenty more," warned Liles Taylor, state AFL-CIO political coordinator.
He points out that the Bevin-GOP union-busting agenda is not complete, not by a long shot.
"Their planned attacks include a ban on Project Labor Agreements for public projects, further attacks on public pensions, even more regressive 'tax reform,' and an aggressive attack on public schools with private school vouchers, state takeover of local districts, and the state-level authorization of charter schools."
Taylor is on the money.
If the Republicans hold the House and Senate, they'll think they have a mandate to keep going with their anti-union, anti-public employee, anti-teacher and anti-public education crusade. If they still control both chambers in 2020, they'll redistrict the Democrats into oblivion. (After the GOP flipped the House in 2016, we lost our last levee against a flood of anti-union legislation.)
Meanwhile, remember the old song, "Look for the union label." Our endorsed candidates are "wearing" the union label. Seek it next Tuesday, and please vote accordingly. Cast your ballots like your job, your union and your future are at stake because they are.