Learn from your mistakes

Now the dust has settled. It is now the time to look backward, at why the union leadership was betting wildly in the election cycle of 2016 - correct the mistakes that were made - labor unions to be able to move forward, to become a real king maker in the political stormy seas.

‘According to the most recent campaign-finance filings, unions spent about $108 million on the elections from January 2015 through the end of August, a 38% jump from $78 million during the same period leading up to the 2012 election, and nearly double their 2008 total in the same period. Nearly 85% of their spending this year has supported Democrats.’

Labor Unions Step Up Presidential-Election Spending

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

By BRODY MULLINS, REBECCA BALLHAUS and MICHELLE HACKMAN

October 18, 2016

Membership dues are intended to be used for their benefit - not to be thrown away, adding insult to injury to the union members due to their leadership backed a losing candidate. The backlash from the victor or ‘to the victor go the spoils.’  The labor unions are supposed to act as a safety net for the middle class, however the current leadership (the old guard) inflexibility to the reality on the ground.

There are no argument labor unions, which helped create and maintain our middle class, are becoming less valued by the errors of the current leadership (the old guard) which resulted the rich getting richer and the number of poor families keeps increasing.

AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka (the old guard) leadership revealed its failed philosophy in this election cycle, whether the short term tactics or long term strategies used - the outcome is clear membership dues were squandered uselessly.

Imagine Trumka was gambling with family income, while the family was in need to pay rent, put bread on the table, pay utility bills, pay for medication and infinity needs of the family. True Trumka had a good time at the casino, the odor of booze, tobacco aroma, seeing scantily clad clothed women lascivious carriage - let your imagination go where your membership dues went.

If you want to assess blame, labor unions don't have to turn too far. It is their own fault (the old guard). However, as we know (the old guard) act as royalty thus they will blame the membership (commoners) as the problem - we are used to this phenomenon. 

TWU INTERNATIONAL 

TWU International under Harry Lombardo took a wrong turn, if this is his leadership, then TWU in for a turbulent ride from now onward - not being aware of how divided the nation.

Lombardo inability to read the reality on the ground is more troubling - imagine it is like ripping the head off the statue of Liberty and thrown it in the Atlantic Ocean.

TWU LOCAL 100

TWU Local 100 under a John Samuelsen initial decision to back Senator Sander was a good sign, he should have stuck to his guns and forget the chain of command or acquiescing to the TWU International. 

It was like we’re sold consumer product on illusions which often give the buyer the exact opposite result of the what effect they were seeking. 

The secret to winning an election is simple. Go to where the votes are, and work those precincts until they are yours.

We have seen candidate Trump, now president elect Trump, soon Trump presidency - he promised change - the highly anticipated promise to rollback of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act:

• To make the financial system more transparent and accountable
• to prevent institutions from becoming to big to fail
• to end government bailouts funded by taxpayers
• to end risky and abusive financial services practices

for the benefit of the rich, this shift will make it harder for the labor unions to be the safety net for the middle class. If (the old guard) had simply taken a few minutes, turned off their iPhones and listened to some of those on the other side, especially struggling union members, we are sure (the old guard) would have gotten an earful.

No matter who was elected, there would be a great change. Nevertheless, our labor unions need to move forward in a better matter. It is obvious in this election cycle (the old guard) skulls are full of mush. 

We recommend to (the old guard) allow those who are outside to come into the tent, listen to those outsiders, work together for the interest of the membership. Labor unions (the old guard) on the infinite wrong courses, are costly, union membership numbers are down, union jobs and union shops are shrinking, private and government union members are at all time high are at odds with one another, we express our sorrow, these errors are our errors as well. 

Every union member is owed an apology by (the old guard) we have to get out of the tumbler, this election cycle, disaster and how (the old guard) made it worse. We have often said we are not haters of (the old guard). All the more reason to reflect on this mother of all errors.