Unions Recruit New Allies for Obama in Battleground States - Case Study Example

College: This article by Steven Greenhouse is very insightful and it gives a general overview and perspective of the roleof the trade unions in the 2012 us presidential campaigns. The article gave an account of the role the labor unions have played in this campaign to ensure that Barrack Obama is re-elected the next president of the United States. It gave the opinion of the union leaders and event organizers whom they were very enthusiastic about how the unions are growing stronger and shaping the politics of the United States. The labor unions are more concentrated on the battle ground states of Ohio and Wisconsin. The union members are moving from house to house knocking the doors as well as making calls to people to go out and vote in support of the president of the United States barrack Obama to be reelected for a second term. Steve gave a story of how sandy Jacobs and Elaine Johnson canvass the states to mobilize the citizen of American to vote. They asked the residents if they have voted if yes whom they voted for and if now they are advised to vote for barrack on Election Day. Teachers mainly from Chicago which is the election center for barrack Obama are very enthusiastic about this. The union members are large in number with a figure of 67, 176 knocking at the doors of residence of Wisconsin. Sandy and Elaine were just part of that 67, 176. The unions are trying to reassert themselves after realizing that they couldn’t influence much during 2010 election that were held in some states that include Ohio. This all effort is more of a strategy to regain relevance in the elections that they influence so much especially in 2008. The unions did play a big role in the election of 2008 and eight, when they campaign for election of Barrack Obama. They have seen that the re-election of the same candidate they campaign for in 2008 is not forthcoming so they have to quickly spring into action. They have for the past two years been actively involved in these campaigns mainly in Ohio and Wisconsin. The unions include Moveon and NAACP as well as Planned Parenthood. These unions have thousand of members. Unlike in the past where they were only allowed to knock on the doors of the union members they can now knock on both the union and non union members. These have helped them a great deal because they can now reach out to more people. Given that union members account for only 12% of the population of the United States their constituency have now increased tremendously. Unlike in the past where they reach out to few people per hour they can now reach out to huge number of population in just an hour. They have also good strategy whereby they have been able to bring together members from different groups to join them. The republican side is however of different view and that the unions have lost the control it had in 2008. Sara Fagen, who worked under George W. Bush said that the members no longer fully support the union and no longer swayed by the union decision to support a particular candidate because they feel the have been pressed economically by the union who drew from them to run this campaign. The union according to the republicans is funding the campaigns at the expense of the workers. They claim also that Obama have not stood up to them by not actualizing the “card check” bill that could have helped them a lot. The union members have however fought for the union members especially by seeking the reversal of the law that deprives the employees of their bargaining rights. They were then to suffer another set back after their effort to oust the governor of Wisconsin proves futile. Scott walker the republican retains the seat as the governor of Wisconsin. The union have though rise with 30 unions joining the course. There are though regular setbacks and frustration on daily basis that often face the union members. They most of the times don’t find response from 2/3 of the homes they contacted so they are left with little to do other than to left notes urging the members of the homes to vote. The union leaders call on members to meet at union halls to embark on canvass. Infarct phil. Neuenfeldt, the president of the Wisconsin A.F.L.-C.I.O., said he was delighted to see union halls become centers of political activity for union and nonunion members. They have seen their work as something more than a campaign, a movement. They are therefore not interested only on who become the next president of the United States but more interest on long term goals and strategies. Pastors have not been left behind in this election campaign. They are going round urging members to come out and vote on Election Day. The Service Employees International Union has pushed to raise the employee’s minimum wage and stop cuts to Medicaid through a community-labor coalition called Wisconsin Jobs Now, which has pushed. The group has enlisted 130 block captains, many in Milwaukee’s poorest neighborhoods, to distribute campaign literature and drive hundreds of residents to the polls. However A labor union is supposed to be an organization of salary workers set up for the purpose of gathering for the unions collective interests when dealing with employers. The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is one of the trade unions and it is a national trade union center. It is the biggest federation of unions in the United States that has fifty-six national and international unions under it and together they represent over 11 million workers. AFL-CIO is a federation of unions in United States. This unions union is working towards bringing together working women and men in order to gain strength in numbers so that they can have a voice at workplace about what they want and care about. Its role includes negotiating a contract between employer and employees so that employees can have a fair and safe workplace, a secure retirement, family-friendly policies and better wages. The union have a voice on how employees jobs get done, it create a more stable and productive workforce that will in turn provides better services and products. In today’s very dynamic and ever-changing workforce the unions adapt to the challenges and help workers through the current challenging and often unpredictable environments. The workers through these unions can speak out for fairness for all working people in their communities and create better standards and a strong middle class across the country. AFL–CIO is a voluntary federation and therefore has little authority over the affairs of its member unions but can only influence in few number of cases such as the ability to kick out a member union for corruption and enforce resolution of disagreements over jurisdiction or organizing. The AFL-CIO is governed through series of meetings held four times a year. In this meetings all the AFL-CIO members are represented by elected delegates of our unions. The board policies are set by convention delegates and the same delegates also set the goals of the union. Another rple of convention delegates is to elect the president, secretary-treasurer, executive vice president—and 54 vice presidents. AFL-CIO Executive Council comprise of the top three officers and 54 vice presidents. Their work is to guide the day to day running of the federation. The General Board tackle issues referred to it by the Executive Council. These issues have always included the endorsements of candidates for U.S. president and vice president. AFL-CIO should therefore not only concentrate on the president’s election but also other roles mandated to it by their constitution. Union members don’t vote 100% one candidate but they differ hence the federation should not impose candidates on members. Read More