Richard Trumka OP-ED on why he quit Trump business council

Since there had been some speculation and accusations on another thread, when this item came across my Facebook feed I thought it might be worth sharing.

Richard Trumka: Why I Quit Trump’s Business Council
By RICHARD TRUMKA AUG. 16, 2017

On Tuesday, President Trump stood in the lobby of his tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and again made excuses for bigotry and terrorism, effectively repudiating the remarks his staff wrote a day earlier in response to the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Va. I stood in that same lobby in January, fresh off a meeting with the new president-elect. Although I had endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, I was hopeful we could work together to bring some of his pro-worker campaign promises to fruition.

So... Trumka is a former miner who got a law degree and rose through the union ranks to become president of the AFL-CIO. He was one of the ones to quit (and then Trump said he was disbanding the group) and he was apparently so angry over what happened that he wrote an op-ed for the New York Times about why he quit.

Now, I had speculated on another thread that the issue of Charlottesville might not be the only reason he quit the council because successful business leaders are NOT the kind who quit on the first sign of trouble. From what he says, the entire council was very dissatisfied with the lack of leadership from Trump - among other things.

Trumka starts out with a very pointed remark (emphasis mine in this quote)

On Tuesday, President Trump stood in the lobby of his tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and again made excuses for bigotry and terrorism, effectively repudiating the remarks his staff wrote a day earlier in response to the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Va. I stood in that same lobby in January, fresh off a meeting with the new president-elect. Although I had endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, I was hopeful we could work together to bring some of his pro-worker campaign promises to fruition.

Unfortunately, with each passing day, it has become clear that President Trump has no intention of following through on his commitments to working people.

He writes about the January meeting with Trump as what had been for him a hopeful sign - that they disagreed on some things but that they could work together to get things done. However, it turned out that the panel positions seemed to be some sort of meaningless prize rather than a real working group.

He writes:

To be clear, the council never lived up to its potential for delivering policies that lift up working families. In fact, we were never called to a single official meeting, even though it comprised some of the world’s top business and labor leaders.

For the record, I'm not particularly pro-union... however Trumka seems to understand American workers:

Here’s the thing: Working men and women have been promised the moon by politicians. Year after year. Campaign after campaign. Republican and Democrat. Too often, those promises have ended up being hollow; election year sound bites are often discarded as quickly as they are made. I told President Trump that this time must be different. I made clear that we would judge his administration on its actions.

We all know this too well - politicians who promise and who don't follow through. But Trumka (who by the way seems to have wanted the US out of NAFTA (at least this is what he indicates in the op-ed) lists a lot of things that he expected some action on - things like infrastructure and a bill that says contractors who work on Federal projects MUST pay their workers local rates (in other words, no cheap imported labor unless you're paying that labor the same wages everyone else in the area gets.)

Here's the kicker (emphasis mine) :

The A.F.L.-C.I.O. joined to bring the voices of working people to the table and advocate the manufacturing initiatives our country desperately needs. But the only thing the council ever manufactured was letterhead.

It's an interesting read. You can find Trumka's Op-Ed here.

I noticed also that the Joint Chiefs of Staff are expressing the same kinds of opinion ... lack of leadership and a rejection of Trump's views.

There were some really unhappy faces in the room with Trump yesterday and some really odd tweets coming from a certain Joint Chief today..

The knives seem to be out for the Emperor..

Trumka, really.

Hmmm.

Mr. Force Business Closed mob union boss.

a reply to: Byrd

I was excited for a second there.

Reading the actual article sounds like a vague rant and more finger pointing. Not only was he not part of the solution, he pointed to problems that were outside of the scope of why they were there.

IMO, it sounded akin to a campaign speech.

On Tuesday, President Trump stood in the lobby of his tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and again made excuses for bigotry and terrorism, effectively repudiating the remarks his staff wrote a day earlier in response to the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Va. I stood in that same lobby in January, fresh off a meeting with the new president-elect. Although I had endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, I was hopeful we could work together to bring some of his pro-worker campaign promises to fruition.

originally posted by: clay2 baraka
There were some really unhappy faces in the room with Trump yesterday and some really odd tweets coming from a certain Joint Chief today..

The knives seem to be out for the Emperor..

His approval rating has not recovered from its downward slope and now I'm reading tweets of Republican lawmakers who are starting to be vocal in their criticism of him. This is a real change from the first few months in office.

He can hold this position if he likes but I think it will cost him a huge number of voters. And I know his campaign war chests won't be topped up by the CEOs of those panels... something I think that he had hoped for.

originally posted by: projectvxn
Trumpka, really.

Hmmm.

Mr. Force Business Closed mob union boss.

that's why Trump vehemently petitioned to have him on board initially

the irony... now he's preaching to Trump in the name of moral decency

originally posted by: projectvxn
Trumpka, really.

Hmmm.

Mr. Force Business Closed mob union boss.

That was one reason I was never fond of the AFL-CIO. I've had to deal with union shops in setting up for a convention and they're a complete pain in the neck ("I can't do that. That's not my union." Speaking as a Texan (non union state), that sure got my goat.)

That said, some of the changes in our working conditions came because the AFL-CIO pushed them (things like vacations, mandated breaks, etc.)

a reply to: Byrd

In fact, we were never called to a single official meeting, even though it comprised some of the world’s top business and labor leaders.

Not a single official meeting. Over and over again Trump promised to gather together the best and the brightest. He promised to hit the ground running.

This group was formed to spearhead the Make America Great Again economic program, and in over six months he never called them to a single official meeting.

a reply to: Byrd

I don't have a problem with unions. I have a problem with union bosses like Trumka.

They might as well be mobsters themselves.

Although I had endorsed Hillary Clinton

I made clear that we would judge his administration on its actions.

Where the hell was he during the last one? Why is he suddenly so worried about "American families" ? Just another Union boss with his hand out and the other one in your back pocket.

Trumpka and many of the others who left likely have other motives. Charlottesville just gives them cover.

Here is a good analysis as to why Trumpka is leaving: On Eve of NAFTA Re-negotiations, CEOs take off masks...

To summarize, Charlottesville has over shadowed that the US has started renegotiating NAFTA and is also putting trade pressure on China right now. These actions are not necessarily what the business community wants (but workers do...). Remember, Trumps campaign was centered around American workers, not allowing corps to move jobs overseas, etc. A lot of the CEOs thought they might be able to influence Trump and it is looking like he is sticking to his promises thus they have no reason to continue on his council. They just can't come out and say this, so Charlottesville gives them the cover they need to part ways.

US Comes Out Swinging During NAFTA Renegotiatons

Unless you follow business news closely, you'd never know this important renegotiation is going on right now. The talking heads in the media aren't really covering it. Charlottesville is distraction against the bigger picture for the uninformed. Remember, this is chess, not checkers.


Here is the pertinent paragraph on Trumpka's motivations.

Remember, union leader Trumka isn’t about supporting workers, his objectives are to support his own ideological enterprises. Trumka receives compensation and indulgences from the same lobbying entities who manipulate political policy in Washington DC. That reality is why Trumka supported ObamaCare when it was against the interests of his actual middle-class union membership. That reality is also why Trumka endorsed Hillary Clinton, over Bernie Sanders, yet he fully understood that Clinton was in support of the Trans-Pacific-Partnership trade deal; and again TPP is against the interests of his union membership.

Trumka quits the advisory council on the same day President Trump introduces massive “Infrastructure spending”? That spending will specifically assist the membership Trumka is supposed to represent. Even without the history of Trumka’s self-indulgent motivations, today’s example alone provides you all you need to know about who and what are the motives and intents. It’s all about the economics folks. All of it. It’s a BIG CLUB and we haven’t been allowed to be in it. We elected President Trump to finally defeat this BIG CLUB and represent our interests and those club members are thrashing out, desperate in their efforts to retain their economic position. There are Trillions of Dollars at stake.