Who are these unions anyway?

All these big labor organizations giving in Virginia have long and confusing names. Are there really boilermakers in the world today?

This post provides information on some of the unions making big contributions and links to their sites.

The largest contributor, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), an AFL-CIO member union, represents employees in public service. Despite their members having the best employer-based health care benefits available, AFSCME lobbies and campaigns on behalf of socialized medicine. They also oppose government efficiency efforts. AFSCME has given over $1.5M so far. AFSCME Local 3001 has also made nearly $7,500 in contributions.

The AFL-CIO itself, through its Virginia organization and one of its regional labor councils, Northern Virginia Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, has contributed over $235,000 so far. AFL-CIO is a federation of 57 national and international labor uinons. AFL-CIO's biggest current agenda is enactment of card-check, legislation to take away secret ballot elections and force binding arbitration on employers, ironically introduced as the Employee Free Choice Act.

Service Employees International Union (SEIU), comes in around $235,000 as well given by their National organizations, and SEIU Local 32BJ (If everything from Connecticut to Florida is "local"). SEIU's top priorities are socialized medicine, card-check legislation, and criticizing chambers of commerce (you know the one's with companies who create jobs).

And, coming in at around $100,000 to date, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, has a Department of Boilermakers' History Preservation, so, while there may not be boilermakers any more, the IBB has expanded to cover workers in construction, ship building and maintenance, ship yard operations, railroads, and appliance manufacturing. Apparently, they also got the memo, their top priorities are socialized medicine and card-check legislation.They also have an interest in preventing tort reform to protect personal injury lawyers and continued insecurity in energy production.

That covers four of the labor organizations most active in the 2009 Virginia elections. Our next post will review more players in the $75,000 to $100,000 range.