40,000 Members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) Quit the AFL-CIO Citing Obamacare … Growing Frustration With Obamacare

Trouble in Union paradise because of Obamacare.

The 40,000 members of the ILWU, International Longshore & Warehouse Union, have quit the AFL-CIO citing Obamacare and immigration reform. The ILWU sent a letter to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka providing grievances, namely the AFL-CIO’s support of Obamacare. The letter stated that,  ”We feel the Federation has done a great disservice to the labor movement and all working people by going along to get along.” Gee, ya think? The ILWU is also upset with the AFL-CIO fot their going along with Obama’s confiscatory tax on their “Cadillac” health care plans after Obama ran on a platform in 2009 saying that he would not do so. Even unions are now upset with Obama’s misrepresentations with Obamacare. What Obama lie, say it isn’t so.

In what is being reported as a surprise move, the 40,000 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) announced that they have formally ended their association with the AFL-CIO, one of the nation’s largest private sector unions. The Longshoremen citied Obamacare and immigration reform as two important causes of their disaffiliation.

In an August 29 letter to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, ILWU President Robert McEllrath cited quite a list of grievances as reasons for the disillusion of their affiliation, but prominent among them was the AFL-CIO’s support of Obamare.

“We feel the Federation has done a great disservice to the labor movement and all working people by going along to get along,” McEllrath wrote in the letter to Trumka.

The ILWU President made it clear they are for a single-payer, nationalized healthcare policy and are upset with the AFL-CIO for going along with Obama on the confiscatory tax on their “Cadillac” healthcare plan.

UPDATE I: The Hill – Unions are frustrated the Obama administration hasn’t responded to their calls for changes to ObamaCare.

Unions are frustrated the Obama administration hasn’t responded to their calls for changes to ObamaCare.

Labor has watched with growing annoyance as the White House has backed ObamaCare changes in response to concerns from business groups, religious organizations and even lawmakers and their staffs.

They say they don’t understand why their concerns so far have fallen of deaf ears.

We are disappointed that the non-profit health plans offered by unions have not been given the same consideration as the Catholic Church, big business and Capitol Hill staffers,” Unite Here President D. Taylor told The Hill.

It’s an issue that Obama may have to face when he speaks to the AFL-CIO convention a week after Labor Day.

6 Responses to “40,000 Members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) Quit the AFL-CIO Citing Obamacare … Growing Frustration With Obamacare”

1. Lightwave on September 2nd, 2013 9:30 am

   If there’s one silver lining to Obameecare, it’s the end of unions. The AFL-CIO won’t survive to be a political factor in 2016, much less 2020.

   And yeah, working-class white union workers will defect to the GOP in droves after this. That’s 40,000 lost Democrat votes for good.

2. A Texas Grandfather on September 2nd, 2013 9:40 am

   This may be the beginning of the unraveling of the Democrat/Socialist party’s base. Remove the unions and they have little solid support.

3. mc on September 2nd, 2013 10:40 am

   Obama doesn’t care. What’s 40,000 lost Democrats compared to millions of illegals?

4. Not Likely on September 2nd, 2013 8:53 pm

   Wrong.

   http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/08/longshore_union_pulls_out_of_n.html
   ____________________________
   SM: Right, the letter can be read HERE: http://www.scribd.com/doc/164542066/ILWU-Disaffiliation-8-29-2013

   There were multiple reasons including Obamacare and immigration. Page 2, paragraph 4

5. Upchuck on September 2nd, 2013 10:35 pm

   Obamacare is a side issue. Their reason for leaving is other afl-cio unions crossing their picket lines.

6. 40,000 Members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union … on September 3rd, 2013 12:47 pm

   [...] 40,000 Members of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union … [...]

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