This is great to see, and one of the reasons we elected Jim Webb:
On Friday [at the Virginia AFL-CIO convention in McLean], U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., thanked the labor movement for its early and fervent support in his narrow upset victory over incumbent George Allen.[...]
Virginia AFL-CIO President James Leaman introduced Webb and told delegates "he has exceeded our expectations" since taking office. Among other things, Webb sponsored legislation sought by unions that would make it easier to organize workplaces by changing the rules by which workers vote for union representation.
Webb also promised to campaign aggressively for pro-union candidates in Virginia's legislative elections in November, which he said will be viewed as a national bellwether.
Supporting workers' right to organize is fundamental to Jim Webb's vision of economic fairness in America. It is also fundamental to any hope of reducing the trend towards the "three Americas" (rich getting richer, poor getting poorer, middle class getting squeezed) that Webb talked about throughout the 2006 campaign. Luckily, we now have a U.S. Senator who cares about workers, not just about rich corporations and their CEOs. Quite a contrast from George Allen, to put it mildly!
Finally, Webb "recalled his decision in October to walk a picket line with striking steelworkers in Southside Virginia, as his race with Allen was neck and neck. Many advisers said it was a bad idea." Webb said that he didn't "know whether it was the right political thing to do," but "it was the right thing to do." Exactly right, THAT is why we elected you, sir - to fight for what's best for Virginia and for America, not for what's politically expedient. Thank you, and keep up the great work!
P.S. I forgot to mention that Webb promised "to campaign aggressively for pro-union candidates in Virginia's legislative elections in November." Excellent.
Every time a politician (or anyone else) brags about how "business-friendly" Virginia is, remember that, ipso facto, that's usually code for "worker-hostile" (and often for "consumer-hostile" as well, but that's another matter).
Leftofcenter, thanks for you comment to this Webb pro labor post.
This from the platform of the Democratic Party of Virginia, adopted by the DPVA Central Committee on September 17, 2005:
3. Keeping Virginia Business-Friendly and Creating Economic Opportunity for All of Virginia's Families
We believe in and support public policies that create good jobs for all Virginians. We support the continued creation of a business climate characterized by a fiscally responsible government, a skilled and well-educated workforce, fair tax policies, access to abundant competitively priced energy, and well-planned transportation and infrastructure. We support targeting areas of need and economic transition through, for example, the Economic Strike Force concept. We also support regional cooperation to foster growth across political boundaries in urban and rural areas. We support Enterprise zones in central cities. We favor continuing efforts to preserve family farms through funding of the Agricultural Enterprise Act, encouraging agricultural easements, buying Virginia products, and eliminating estate taxes on family farms. We support small businesses and entrepreneurs and favor start-up assistance and health insurance tax credits. We also recognize the importance of women and minority-owned businesses in Virginia and support continuing efforts to increase state government contract procurement for such businesses. We support job creation through preserving our natural resources and quality of life and promoting agriculture, outdoor sports and tourism to Virginia's natural, historic and cultural attractions. We commend the Warner-Kaine administration for its ongoing efforts to strengthen Virginia's economy by attracting new businesses - from around the world - to the Commonwealth. We support the presence of military service members and their families in Virginia and we encourage maintaining and expanding Virginia's federal military installations. We appreciate the Warner-Kaine administration's efforts to keep these installations open and to mitigate the effects of any base closings.
Your sentence, "It is up to us in the labor movement to hold these politicians accountable and not give them money or support if they don't support our agenda." is spot on. Labor unions are the core of working America and the American public has not given them the support that they so rightly deserve. The income disparity between the rich and everybody else continues to grow larger. When unions were supported in this country, that disparity was much more equitable.
Isn't it time to "update" what we as Democrats say are our core issues/values -- our Party Plan? Anyone associated with the DPVA willing to take the lead on this one?
LET'S GIVE JIM WEBB THE SUPPORT HE IS WILLING TO GIVE US.
The mission of ----- shall be to give workers strength, dignity, and their own voice; to bring together all members to assist and protect one another; to raise the morale and support the aspirations of workers, thereby improving the quality of services we provide; to create a workplace without discrimination; and to promote social and economic justice for all workers.
Jim Webb will get a ton of support from my union-financially and people wise. I will definately make sure of that. Unfortunately dems at the state level are afraid to say the dreaded "u" word. But they aren't very afraid to take our money. That's a fact. Once when I was down at the GA someone told me I might not want to mention I was a union person. I told them to forget it, that i wasn't ashamed.
I also think that if you can't fire metro workers because they're part of a union, even though they made a metro bus fly and can never get every single escalater at every metro subway stop, working simutaniously every day of the week, you got to review your options.
But also, I belong to a Union. And I've also not belonged. From what I've been reading, Unions are suppose to be supportive of the worker's rights. So why am I and the rest of my fellow co-workers all part time? On top of that is this, I joined the Union not because I was a big cheerleader of them but because I needed health insurance, and I was told the only way to get it was joining the union, I just got that insurance but it won't pay for my prescriptions, why? Its a big carrot and stick game.
The place that wasn't unionized, Home Depot, gave me a 40 hour work week, stock options, 401k options and health insurance that covered everything. A non-unionized work environment better that a union work environment? Go figure.
Standing up for workers. We will ensure that the right to organize a union exists in the real world, not just on paper, because that's how we create more jobs that can support families. That means reforming our labor laws to protect the rights of workers (including public employees) to bargain contracts and organize on a level playing field without interference. It also means barring the permanent replacement of legal strikers. And we will of course reverse this Administration's cuts in wages for working people by restoring overtime protections for hard-working Americans. We will strengthen health and safety protections as well.
If Jim Webb is willing to support this legislation and campaign for candidates who openly support unions, then Virginia Democrats should show him that we support him by modifying the Party Plan to include union support. If he's willing to "go out on a limb" politically, we, who have nothing to lose, should take this action ASAP.
That someone at the General Assembly suggested to you that you not mention that you are a union member, I'm appalled. I'm hoping it was not a Democratic delegate or senator.
He also reminded the union of a political sore spot--the General Assembly's rejection of a Kaine cabinet appointee, former union leader Daniel LeBlanc. He urged aggressive campaigns against every legislator who opposed LeBlanc's appointment. The house of Delegates rejected LeBlanc's appointment on a purely party line vote.
That was courtesy of Del. Mark Cole (R-88). Kick him out! Carlos Del Toro for Deleagate!
Brilliant.
Also, am I the only one here who still gets excited when I hear of Webb referred to as one of the top-two Democrats in the state? That's just so cool.