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The political roof fell in on national unions and their leaders on Nov. 8 as unionists – as well as other voters – voted for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Trump defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton — who had been endorsed by many unions — to win the White House.
The stunning loss, and it wasn’t confined to Clinton, led union leaders to cancel a Nov. 9 AFL-CIO press conference to discuss the vote and exit poll results. The polls revealed the defections. Cable News Network (CNN) reported that in two late, key, swing states, Wisconsin and Michigan, unionists and their families split 50-50 between the two.
“And in Ohio, 52,” North America’s Building Trades President Sean McGarvey told Press Associates Union News Service on his way into the closed-door meeting to assess the damage. “Him or her?” he was asked. “Him,” McGarvey replied.
McGarvey, like other unionists interviewed, put worker frustration with an economy that has left them behind and with Washington gridlock and catering to special interests at the top of the list of reasons that voters and workers turned to the millionaire Manhattan mogul.
“It’s 30 years of getting screwed by both parties, Democrats and Republicans,” he said. “They were willing to take a chance on anything – and that includes people in this (AFL-CIO) building,” he added, referring to its unions and their members.
Some union leaders, including AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, tried to put the best face on the results that they could.
“More than anything, this election is an indictment of politics as usual. For too long, the political elites have embraced economic policies that hold down wages, increase inequality, diminish opportunity and ship American jobs overseas. Voters in both the primary and general election have delivered a clear message: Enough,” Trumka said in a statement.
“The president-elect made promises in this campaign — on trade, on restoring manufacturing, on reviving our communities. We will work to make many of those promises a reality. If he is willing to work with us, consistent with our values, we are ready to work with him.
“But make no mistake, we can never back down from our values. The presence of racism, misogyny and anti-immigrant appeals caused damage in this campaign and we must all try to repair it with inclusion, decency and honesty. As we move forward, the labor movement is committed to defending our American democracy.”
Other unionists interviewed agreed with McGarvey that the defections hurt. They offered varied reasons why.
“Everybody is reeling from this,” said one top retired Steelworkers speaker. “Trade was the big kahuna,” he added. “And we’ve been warning people about this ever since NAFTA.”
Trump made his denunciation of so-called “free trade” pacts – which began with NAFTA 22 years ago– a big campaign theme in the Great Lakes industrial states he narrowly carried: Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Trade pacts cost thousands of jobs in them.
National union leaders vowed to keep fighting, though the way forward was unclear and the subject of day-long meetings at the AFL-CIO. Other statements included:
National Association of Letter Carriers President Fred Rolando: “Had we prevailed in more races, we would have been in a better position to achieve sensible postal reform legislation and to protect the interests of active and retired members of the NALC. But now we face a lot of uncertainty. We intend to engage with the Trump administration and the new Congress to advance our issues while continuing to vigorously defend letter carriers’ jobs and standard of living as well as the benefits and interests of our retired members.
AFSCME President Lee Saunders: “As we take stock of the message voters sent yesterday, we see many were motivated by a real, palpable fear for their ability to provide for their families. We must come together now to address that economic insecurity while not falling prey to the politics of division and hate. We must focus on rebuilding the middle class and restoring the American Dream for everyone, not just the privileged few.”
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten: “Throughout this campaign, Donald Trump promised to fix the rigged economy. He promised to restore America’s middle class, to bring back the country’s manufacturing and industrial base, and to restore dignity and opportunity for Americans – values that we as trade unionists understand intimately. He said last night that he would bring the country together – something that is essential, given the bullying and bigotry unleashed in this election. And as unionists, we will work tirelessly to ensure that all people can reach for their dreams, economically, educationally and otherwise.”