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Labor Rejects Obamacare: Will GOP Accept It?

While Congress was out on recess this August, the 40,000-member International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) quit the AFL-CIO over the group’s acquiescence to President Obama over the perversely named Affordable Care Act (ACA), firing the first shot in the debate over what to do when the law inevitably collapses. The ILWU’s…

While Congress was out on recess this August, the 40,000-member International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) quit the AFL-CIO over the group’s acquiescence to President Obama over the perversely named Affordable Care Act (ACA), firing the first shot in the debate over what to do when the law inevitably collapses.

The ILWU’s attack on Obamacare followed a public letter condemning the law jointly signed by International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa; Donald “D.” Taylor, president of UNITE-HERE; and Joseph Hansen, international president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

The letter from Hoffa, Taylor and Hanson to the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) unequivocally states, “Right now, unless you and the Obama Administration enact an equitable fix, the ACA will shatter not only our hard-earned health benefits, but destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class.”

The Nevada AFL-CIO was equally shrill in their newly found opposition to the law’s implementation passing a resolution at their August meeting with Reid in attendance that partially reads, “Whereas, as a result of Administration inaction to fix the problem, the unintended consequences of the ACA will lead to the destruction of the 40 hour work week, higher taxes and force union members onto more costly plans — eventually destroying the Taft-Hartley Funds completely;”

In the past six weeks, that is now at least five major private sector unions demanding changes to Obamacare, with four of them citing it as destroying the 40-hour workweek.

(To continue reading this piece, press the “Read More …” icon below).

Rick Manning (@rmanning957) is the Vice President of Public Policy and Communications for Americans for Limited Government.

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9 comments

Thomas September 5, 2013 at 1:09 pm

Do they mean the law where Pelosi said you have to pass it to know what is inside? The law where there was not 72 hours to read the bill before passing? Do they mean the law where not on Republican voted for it? Are they talking about the law which Obama keeps moving the effective date past the last two election cycles? You mean to tell me they want out of the law where the US House under GOP control voted 43 times to repeal the law and the US Senate under Democrat control will not allow a vote? The law the the US Supreme Court ruled as a tax increse? THAT law?

Well, no shit. What took them so long.

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Centrist View September 5, 2013 at 1:13 pm

“…the unintended consequences of the ACA will lead to the destruction of the 40 hour work week.”

Was it really unintended?

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real world September 5, 2013 at 1:24 pm

Another fix? I thought they were already allowed an exemption to keep their Cadillac Health Benefit Plans. Now they want to maintain a 40 hour work week too? Has SEIU chimed in on this yet? What a bunch of whiners. Never the less Obama will likely just fine employers who exchange out full-time employees for those working less than 30 hours.

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? September 5, 2013 at 1:28 pm

The faster that Obamacare is implemented the better. Let’s get the default party going as early as possible.

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SC_Guy September 5, 2013 at 1:58 pm

The cadillac tax is a smoke screen for the overwhelming majority of union bosses. Union health plans are a gold mine for the unions and they stand to lose big bucks if obamacare becomes the law of the land.

Always follow the money.

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Smirks September 5, 2013 at 2:05 pm

You do understand that ILWU supports a nationalized, single-payer health care reform, right? In fact, various unions either want changes made to the bill that would benefit them (in some cases, double-dipping on federal benefits, often to benefit the union itself and not necessarily the workers), or would rather see a more comprehensive reform? None of these unions want to roll back to what we had and make zero changes from there, and certainly none of them back what Republicans are touting.

All of this “hurr, the unions don’t like it” nonsense is really fucking stupid. It’ll be interesting to see just how quickly alterations to the ACA would fail considering Republicans won’t consider any bill on the matter that doesn’t involve defunding it or obliterating it.

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Sarah Palin Forever! September 5, 2013 at 3:34 pm

Yeh the Koch Brothers and the Labor Union Socialists?

Workers and Millionaires Unite!

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CL September 6, 2013 at 5:49 pm

The unions supported the bill at the time (probably as an incremental step to more governmental control in the future) and now are bailing. Seems pretty relevant to Republican arguments that the bill was a disaster that would be impossible to implement. Obama has expressed support for a single payer system. too. If he bails on the bill (maybe, like his red line, he can say it was Congress’ bill) will you say that is irrelevant as well?

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Waterfront Commentator September 6, 2013 at 12:02 pm

Average annual ILWU earnings including overtime but excluding benefits: over $100,000.

Many earn over $200,000.

Contract hourly wage: $30,68.

http://depts.washington.edu/pcls/documents/research/AgnoneKelly_ILWUContract.pdf

I cry crocodile tears for these poor ILWU members.

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