March C.O.P.E. Political Roundtable Explains Effects of 09-10 Legislative Session on Labor Voting Records

The March C.O.P.E. Political Roundtable on Thursday, March 18th served as an informative presentation of The Mass. AFL-CIO’s 09-10 Legislative Agenda and the many legislative battles the Massachusetts Labor Movement has had so far this session.

Political Director, Bob Bower started by talking about candidate endorsements as we enter this busy political year and how the Executive Council voted to do no endorsements in the 2 current special elections for state senate until after the primaries.  He then discussed the Democratic State Convention and how labor wants the main focus this year to be “jobs, jobs, jobs”.  He strongly encouraged anyone from a union family elected delegate to this year’s convention to let the Mass. AFL-CIO know by filling out a Labor Delegate ID Form, which can be found by clicking here. Lastly, Bower insisted that everyone in attendance join forces after the meeting and head down the street to the Rally for striking Shaw’s workers in Dorchester, stating how important it was to show support. On that note, Jonah Peppiatt, Councilor Organizer of the Greater Boston Labor Council, informed everyone of the upcoming Bank of America Rally occurring on Wednesday, March 24th at 12:00 PM in front of Bank of America at 100 Federal St. in Boston.

The main topic of this month's C.O.P.E. Political Roundtable featured Tim Sullivan, Legislative and Communications Director of the Mass. AFL-CIO, with a detailed legislative update on important votes that have taken place this current legislative session and important votes in the near  future. Sullivan began by stating the importance of the upcoming jobs rally featuring casinos on March 31st at 10:30 AM in the State House. He then got into the Legislative Agenda saying this session’s theme was “safety and security” for working families. Click here to see the ten bills on the Mass AFL-CIO’s 2009-2010 Legislative Agenda with an update on each. Next, he discussed Labor Votes and how state legislators accumulated their Labor Voting Records under the new style of calculating voting records, which may weight certain votes and consider procedural votes as Labor Votes; and the dramatic effects some of the anti-collective bargaining votes this session (i.e. transportation and education "reform") are having on legislators' Labor Voting Records.  When a significant vote is imminent,  legislators are informed in a letter that “All votes relating to these matters may be considered Labor Votes and calculated into Labor Voting Records upon which endorsements and levels of support are determined.”  In addition to informing legislators of the possible Labor Vote, the Mass. AFL-CIO also testifies in favor or against legislation that may be considered a Labor Vote.  From there, the Executive Council determines which votes actually do count and whether to weigh certain votes based on the importance of the vote to labor.  Sullivan then displayed examples of how specific legislators' voting records have drastically changed due to the many anti-labor votes legislators have taken this session.  He concluded his presentation by discussing likely upcoming labor votes that will be taken before this session concludes on July 31st, particularly votes on destination resort casinos, the FY' 11 budget, pension reform, and the bills on the state AFL-CIO's Legislative Agenda.
 
The next C.O.P.E. Roundtable will be on Thursday April 15th at 1:30 PM. Stay tuned for more details.  To view pictures of the March C.O.P.E. Roundtable, click here.