AFL-CIO: enemy of caribou

Nathan Newman nathan at newman.org
Tue Aug 7 10:33:42 PDT 2001


----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com>

Max Sawicky wrote:
>We have to recognize that supporting enviro measures that
>destroy jobs and provide a "just transition" is asking to
>get kicked in the teeth.

My guess is that this decision by the AFL-CIO had less to do with the jobs/environment issue than with internal AFL-CIO politics. Along with the Teamsters, the other high-profile union pushing ANWR were the Carpenters union, which seceded from the AFL-CIO a few months ago. Sweeney desperately wants to get the Carpenters back into the fold and fears others following them, so my guess is that either as a carrot or under explicit pressure from Hoffa Jr. and others in the building trades, the AFL gave in on the issue to placate them.

And as I keep repeating, as the legislation was written, this was not the typical jobs/economy fight, but a straight-up delivery of increased union members, mandated by the Feds, packaged in a bow by Bush for the Teamsters and building trades.

-- Nathan Newman



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