By BERRY CRAIG
AFT Local 1360
"Kentucky attorney general candidate Daniel Cameron couldn't think of one time he disagreed with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in private or in public," Philip M. Bailey wrote in the Louisville Courier-Journal last month.
"Oh, I don't know, we're pretty aligned on most things in terms of our conservative views. I don't have anything I've probably disagreed with him on," Bailey quoted Cameron, a Republican like McConnell, (Cameron was McConnell's general counsel in Washington.)
I read the C-J online every day. I haven't seen a follow-up story where Cameron changed his mind about differing with McConnell.
Anyway, McConnell has said a lot about unions in public. He despises unions. He loves anything that makes it harder for unions to function.
McConnell is crazy about Kentucky's "right to work" law." He thinks prevailing wage repeal is great, too. He's even for a national RTW law and for getting rid of the prevailing wage on federal construction projects.
McConnell practices what he preaches. Since 1985, when he was sworn in the first time, he has supported union-backed bills only 11 percent of the time, according to the AFL-CIO's Legislative Scorecard.
Stumbo has said a lot about unions in public, too. He also practiced what he preached as a longtime state legislator. As House speaker, he thwarted a slew of union-busting bills, including RTW and prevailing wage repeal legislation.
Also, he treated unions fairly when he was AG in 2004-2008. "Cameron’s lack of legal experience and his Washington, D.C. connections to McConnell are clearly concerning qualities for someone who wants to serve as the chief legal officer in the state," warned the Democratic Attorneys General Association.
Maybe I missed it. But I haven't seen, or heard, where Cameron has said anything about unions. But he's proud to run with Bevin, one of the most anti-union governors in Kentucky history. (Besides enacting RTW and PW repeal, Bevin and the GOP-majority General Assembly have pared down the state workers' compensation, unemployment insurance and Occupational Safety and Health programs.)
The Kentucky State AFL-CIO unanimously endorsed Stumbo and the rest of the Democratic ticket from Andy Beshear, Bevin's challenger, on down.
Here's what Stumbo said on our Endorsements page:
"Both of my grandfathers were UMWA coal miners who told me, at a young age, stories of how the union allowed them to earn a living wage, raise their families and educate their children in a way that they never would have before the union came to eastern Kentucky. I always remembered those lessons, and one of the proudest parts of my career in public service for over thirty years is that I have maintained a 100 percent voting record for the men and women of organized labor."
Here's what Beshear said:
"I’ll be a governor who respects and listens to workers, while also fighting for policies that make it easier for them to get ahead. While Matt Bevin looks out for his special interest donors, I care about expanding access to affordable health care for our families and making sure workers have the training and skills they need to earn a good living. I'll make sure my labor cabinet secretary is a card-carrying union member, and I look forward to working side-by-side with workers and labor unions across the commonwealth."
Click here to read what all of our endorsed candidates said about unions.
We know that no matter what happens on Nov. 5, the Republicans will still have hefty anti-union majorities in the House and Senate. But that's no excuse for not voting.
Electing our endorsed candidates will send a big message to the union-busters in Frankfort and to McConnell in Washington. Electing our candidates also will be a big step toward ensuring we get a fair shake in Frankfort again.