Laborers’ Union Mobilizes for Democrats

Terence O'Sullivan, fiery president of the Laborers International Union of North America, swept through Missouri this week barnstorming for Democrats.

"My mission is to make sure our members are looking at the candidates with economic issues in mind, not race or social issues," he told CNR.

Speaking to overflow crowds at union halls in Kansas City, Springfield, Potosi, and St. Louis, O'Sullivan explained what he thinks the economic issues are, starting with the Davis-Bacon Act.

"John McCain has voted against the Davis-Bacon Act ever since getting elected to the Senate; while Obama has supported. And McCain's opposition was not just to extending it, but also to reauthorizing it," O'Sullivan said. "So, if McCain gets elected and does away with Davis-Bacon, you'll see a 35 percent pay cut," he told his members.

On health insurance, "McCain wants to tax your health care benefits, so in addition to that 35 percent pay cut, and on top of the fact that you are already paying in your premiums to cover health care for the uninsured employees of your nonunion competitors, McCain wants to hand you a tax bill for $2500 for your health benefits," O'Sullivan said. "Obama wants all employers to provide health insurance," he said.

On pension plans, "McCain wants to eliminate defined benefit pension plans. He wants you to invest in the stock market for your retirement. Can you imagine what that feels like right now? Obama wants to expand defined benefit pension plans," O'Sullivan said.

Finally, on project labor agreements, "McCain is against them... Obama is for them," he said.

O'Sullivan said the 2008 election is so important - he said it is about preserving the American dream and the future of the working class and the middle class in this country - that the Laborers are spending $15 million on it, and the most they'd ever spent on an election before was $3 million.

"We understand that we aren't going to get any promises," O'Sullivan told CNR. "But after the election, the gloves come off. We stepped out to try to make America's infrastructure an election year issue. Our infrastructure is crumbling and we have to spend $1.6 trillion to rebuild it for us to have a first class country. We need to rebuild our infrastructure to provide jobs that pay a middle-class wage, to improve the safety and security of our country, and to make us more economically competitive. We've seen with the highway trust fund that we can't fund it with user fees. We have to make it a priority and take money from the general treasury.

"We've had a bailout for Wall Street, now we need a stimulus for Main Street," he said. How will the country pay for it? "If we can find a way to fund the war in Iraq; if we can find a way to cut taxes for the rich, then I think we can find a way to fund infrastructure. We just have to make it a priority," O'Sullivan said.

Cutline: Terence O'Sullivan (left), general president of the Laborers International Union of North America, accepts compliments from union members after his speech Wednesday night at Local 110 in Green Park, MO.

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