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The Spectacle Blog
AFL-CIO
president Richard Trumka’s recent remarks comparing the
fight over government-employee unions in Wisconsin with Martin
Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement is “absurd” and
“insulting,” a spokesman for a national civil-rights group said
Monday.
“Black Americans in the 1960s were fighting for their humanity,” said Niger Innis, spokesman for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). “Public-employee unions today are fighting for better privileges and benefits than the average American worker has.”
At a union rally last week in Baltimore, Trumka declared, “Madison is just the beginning!” — a reference to massive AFL-CIO-led protests against a Republican-backed law to limit collective-bargaining rights of Wisconsin state and local government employees. As reported by Byron York of the Washington Examiner, Trumka announced nationwide union rallies for April 4, the 43rd anniversary of MLK’s assassination in Memphis. On its Web site, the AFL-CIO invited protesters “to stand in solidarity with working people in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and dozens of other states where well-funded, right-wing corporate politicians are trying to take away the rights Dr. King gave his life for.”
In an interview Monday with The American Spectator, Innis rejected Trumka’s attempt to co-opt the civil-rights legacy for political purposes.
“Trumka’s comparison of the union battles in the Midwest and across the country to Martin Luther King and all of black America’s struggle for equality is absurd,” Innis said. “I’m not casting aspersions on the union movement. I’m just asserting that Trumka’s comparisons are distorted and insulting.”
Innis said that the AFL-CIO president “unfortunately is following a recent phenomenon of what I call the prostitution of a people’s pain.” He said Trumka is “mimicking radical environmentalists, the gay rights movement and the animal rights movement” which also invoke comparisons between their causes and the “four-century-old struggle of African-Americans.”
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More Blog Posts by Robert Stacy McCain
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Wayne | 3.21.11 @ 5:33PM
Nor was Martin Luther King in bed with the Democratic Party as Unions are today.
NoLib| 3.21.11 @ 6:23PM
It's nauseating to watch this big fat white privileged union thug try to hijack the civil rights struggle of American blacks in the 20th century. Trumka looks just like a pig. What an absolutey loathsome man.
bobmontgomery| 3.21.11 @ 7:44PM
...who is in contact with the White House every single day.
truthcrusader| 3.21.11 @ 6:26PM
Richard Trumka:
An Ugly History of Violence and Corruption
Richard Trumka, former United Mine Workers (UMW) union president and
current secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, is expected to be elected this week as
president of the nation’s largest union coalition. Trumka’s record of militancy, disregard
for the rule of law, and condoning of violence by union goons during strikes suggests that
his presidency of the AFL-CIO could usher in a new era of forced-unionism extremism.
Trumka’s reign (1982-1995) as president of United Mine Workers (UMW)
union was marked by militancy, strikes, and union violence
• Trumka’s fiery rhetoric often appeared to condone militancy and violence,
especially against workers who dared to continue to provide for their families by
working during a strike
o “UMWA President Richard Trumka…urged union members to…‘kick
the (expletive) out of every last one of ‘em.’”1
o “You’d have to be very naïve to believe that if management brought in
scabs, there won’t be something somewhere.”2
o “I’m saying if you strike a match and you put your finger in it, you’re
likely to get burned. That doesn’t mean I’m threatening to burn you.
That just means if you strike the match, and you put your finger in it,
common sense will tell you it’ll burn your finger.”3
2
• That’s exactly what happened during three violent UMW strikes during Trumka’s
presidency
o 1993 UMW strike against Peabody Coal -- Eddie York, a 39 year old nonunion
worker, “was shot in the back of the head and killed” leaving a job
in Logan County, West Virginia. “Guards told police the truck careened
across the road and went into a ditch. When guards rushed over to
check on York, they continued to be pelted with rocks, guards told
police.”4
o In a detailed account of the York murder and subsequent investigation,
Reader’s Digest noted that “UMW President Richard Trumka did not
publicly discipline or reprimand a single striker present when York
was killed. In fact, all eight were helped out financially by the local.” 5
o Eventually, the union agreed to let the company “dismiss the eight original
defendants if they were convicted,” but when the company “issued letters
of dismissal to the seven pickets who pleaded guilty,” the union filed a
grievance on their behalf.6
o Trumka and other UMW officials were charged in a $27 million wrongful
death suit by Eddie York’s widow. After fighting the suit intensely for
four years, UMW lawyers settled suddenly in 19977 -- just two days after
the judge in the case ruled evidence in the criminal trial would be
admitted.8
truthcrusader| 3.21.11 @ 6:30PM
Obama or any Union Member who patronizes AFLCIO hog Richard Trumka is only endorsing a convicted murderer who pled the 5th Amendment.
Richard Trumka and his blind followers will continue to resort to violence, yet they are underestimating their NRA opponents. Bring it hogs.
Marc Jeric| 3.21.11 @ 7:41PM
Given time every union will fall into the hands of either the Mafia (less dangerous) or the communists (much more permanent and dangerous), Then they will proceed to the destruction of the particular industry in which they "work". For example: steel, automobile, textile, apparel, electronics...Amtrak, Postal Service, education...
Government employees unions are by definition criminal conspiracies against the people ans should be prosecuted under RICO laws.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 3.22.11 @ 11:08AM
Given time? I would say it already has been after seeing the signs they make.
Race Realist| 3.21.11 @ 8:24PM
Niger Innis?
Yeah - it is, isntit!
Occam's Tool| 3.21.11 @ 8:26PM
Indeed, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed because of Republicans. Pleeease. I'm a Public Employee, and my annoyances with the State and Public are lightyears removed from what, say, Jackie Robinson endured.
Quartermaster| 3.21.11 @ 9:06PM
There is no such thing as an "African-American." You can be African, or you can be American, but you can not be both. So take you your pick Innis.
Jonah| 3.21.11 @ 10:08PM
Lighten up, nitpicker. Innis is a good man and a good American.
Quartermaster| 3.22.11 @ 6:42PM
I'm hardly a nit picker. You, however, are one that seems to not care either about truth or precision in language which the left likes to engage in.
All I'm saying is he is giving into the left by using their stupid terminology.
You on the other hand should grow up.
Jonah| 3.22.11 @ 7:02PM
You should get a life.
Why criticize Innis yet give the union criminals a pass? Now, that's stupid!
J.C.Eaton| 3.21.11 @ 9:42PM
Richard Trumka, male prostitute.
Jack| 3.21.11 @ 11:50PM
There is an old saying about "you are who your friends are". Just saying the POTUS seems to pick some unusual chums.
Spectator| 3.22.11 @ 12:05AM
Facts, as John Adams said, are stubborn things. Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis where he was marching with city workers on strike seeking recognition of their union for collective bargaining rights. His famous "Mountaintop" speech was given the night before he died to a church packed with striking members of AFSCME Local 1733, supporting their demand for the City to recognize and bargain with their union.
Mr. Innis is entitled to his own opinion, but he is not entitled to his own facts.
Jonah| 3.22.11 @ 2:24AM
Did the striking members of AFSCME Local 1733 demand nearly $800,o00 a year for Viagra, too?
Last year the Milwaukee school district was facing a $10 million shortfall and the possibility of 400 teacher layoffs, yet the Teachers' union filed a lawsuit demanding $786,000 a year for Viagra and Cialis for their male union members.
According to the union spokesman paid access to Viagra and Cialis is a fundamental right.
Sure it is. I wonder if Dr. King would approve.
What you people don't understand is WE'RE BROKE! You make more money than we do and your benefits are out of control. Buy your own damn Viagra!
grethel| 3.22.11 @ 9:57AM
Niger Innis is a clear thinker and a courageous man.