Bloomberg: Unions Drawing Line in Sand With Hillary Clinton and Democrats on Trade Deal

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-05-29/unions-drawing-line-in-sand-with-hillary-clinton-and-democrats-on-trade-deal


May 29, 2015 10:33 AM CDT
As the clash moves toward a vote in the House of Representatives, the union is beginning to pressure Democrats directly

By Emily Greenhouse,

The AFL-CIO, the largest labor federation in the United States, is typically allied with Democrats, but today finds itself moving away from the Democratic president over Obama’s proposed trade pact.

In an interview with Susan Page of USA Today, Richard Trumka, the union’s president, on Friday warned Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton that the wrong position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership could cost her much union support.

“She's going to have to answer that,” Trumka said of her position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. “I think she won't be able to go through a campaign without answering that and people will take it seriously and it will affect whether they vote for her or don't vote for her.”

As the clash moves toward a vote in the House of Representatives—which Trumka predicted would fail—the union is beginning to pressure Democrats directly. The AFL-CIO, the New York Times reported Friday, has launched an aggressive ad campaign against Democrats who support the president on the pact.

FULL story at link.