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September 16, 2010

Who's the Industrialist?

Justin Katz

Always desirous of sharing the wise observations of my fellow Rhode Islanders, I recommend Raymond Palmieri's recent letter to the editor:

Union leadership now plays the role of the industrialists.

The Aug. 25 Wall Street Journal reported that the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees Industrial Union (SEIU) "have a combined $88 million or more to deploy in this year's election cycle." That is money spent to keep its hold on favored politicians and maintain its strong influence in both our federal and state governments. Union leaders freely spend hundreds of millions of dollars of their members' money supporting political candidates and agendas that many of their members may not agree with. They have no say in the matter.

Comments

"" Union leaders freely spend hundreds of millions of dollars of their members' money supporting political candidates and agendas that many of their members may not agree with. They have no say in the matter.""
posted by Justin

And

CEOs freely spend hundreds of millions of dollars, of their share-holders money ( employees money, public and private pension funds) supporting political candidates and agendas that many of their (involuntary investors) may not agree with...THEY HAVE NO SAY IN THE MATTER...

My pension fund invested in Enron..and Haliburton

Posted by: Sammy at September 16, 2010 7:39 PM

Mr. Palmieri might have mentioned the hypocrisy of unions when it comes to dealing with their own employees. Unions like other employers, don't take kindly to their employees' attempts to organize. The United Federation of Teachers fired an employee who attempted to organize the union's employees. The Teamsters and the AFL-CIO hired non-union contractors to construct union offices in order to save money. And of course there is the widespread practice of locals' hiring non-union members to walk picket lines at minimum wage

Posted by: David P at September 17, 2010 2:02 PM