In an Internet video piece dated September 27, 2010 which recently made the rounds of conservative media, AFL-CIO boss Richard Trumka explains his union’s intention to be a tool for social change and to bring about a “progressive America.”
Though his manner of expression is reminiscent of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s indefinite grammar, the stark meaning behind Trumka’s words in these sound bites remains unmistakable:
were the last line of defense out there. I mean, I got into the labor movement not because I wanted to negotiate wages. I got into the labor movement because I saw it as a vehicle to do massive social change to include the lots of people. [Emphasis added.] Thats why I got into the labor movement.
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Ive been trying to build permanent coalitions. Weve been asking our state feds and our central labor councils to reach out and start building permanent coalitions with young workers groups, with student groups, with religious groups, anybody thats a progressive group to bring them in and actually make them part of the structure. So that we have representatives on our executive boards now that come from community groups so that that voice is always there and were actually helping back and forth.
A female commentator then addresses him:
You know the idea of labor as part of that progressive coalition so its rooted in the broader community is labor part (of), for example and we don’t have a sense of how its going to turn out but there’s a lot of energy around it: The “march” on October 2?
Trumka replies:
Oh yeah were right at the beginning of that. We were part of the planters, we were doing all that. And that’s actually a two-fold strategy. Its trying to bring progressive groups together to give America a vision of what a progressive America would be like talking about a job creation of the middle class, rebuilding the middle class. We’ve got progressive groups all over. Were lock, stock and barrel in the middle of that. [Emphasis added.].
The One Nation Working Together march, endorsed by these groups, indeed took place last October 2, and was the Lefts response to several of the conservative rallies which had recently been held on the Washington D.C. mall. Here Howard Dean pushes for attendance at the One Nation march and here Ed Schultz from MSNBC holds forth as a rally speaker. Not to be outdone, here Van Jones also addressed the One Nation crowd. (Now here we not only see Rep. Charlie Rangel present at the march, but also the assault by a rally participant on a Human Events reporter trying to film the congressman. Not much was heard from the mainstream media about this confrontation nor about the trash left behind by the One Nation attendees.)
The appearance of AFL-CIO chief Trumka at the October 2 “rally of radicals” D.C. event was a logical conclusion to his social change and progressive America Internet remarks. Michelle Malkins website had not only a reference to the millions of dollars he had available for use to influence last Novembers election, but also a mention of “Trumka’s history of fomenting threats, intimidation, and physical violence against dissenters. SouthCapitolStreet.com had another unflattering and alarming expos regarding both the union boss and his methods.
Richard Trumka is in his second year as AFL-CIO President, after being its Secretary-Treasurer since 1995. He previously was President of the United Mine Workers for about 13 years. Whatever may be said of workers’ unions and the original intent they may have had of merely protecting the interests of employees regarding wages, etc., such benevolence is now lost amid union takeover by the Left and, according to Trumka himself, the wielding of union power for socialist purposes. According to many reports both here and elsewhere, he is notorious for doing what it takes to get his way.
Photo: President Barack Obama stands with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka after he spoke about jobs and the economy at the AFL-CIO Executive Council in Washington, Aug. 4, 2010: AP Images
