Members of the NC Association of Educators, the state teachers unions, wield a lot of votes. They tend to lean Democratic. And they're a natural constituency for Kay Hagan, the Greensboro Democrat seeking to unseat Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole. What's more, in these times of widening income inequality, home mortgage crisis and financial meltdown, there would seem to be a natural opening for a populist who supports collective-bargaining rights for public employees and making it easier for employees overall to unionize — a proven means for workers to raise their standard of living.
Enter Hagan. The only problem is that as a business progressive not to mention a former banker, challenging the business establishment is not really in the candidate's makeup. Nor can she afford to alienate that constituency.
It was strange, then, to see Kay Hagan first offering to consider a federal law to override North Carolina's prohibition against collective bargaining for public employees, and then emphatically opposing it.
Thanks to News & Record political reporter Mark Binker for pointing me to this blog post from Sept. 8. My browser wouldn't load the audio, but I trust this transcript is accurate:
[Editorial writer Doug] Clark: "This is (about) collective barging [SIC] for public employees. So, North Carolina law doesn't allow that. But would you support federal legislation that would mandate recognition of collective bargaining writes [SIC] for state employees?
Hagan: "Not mandate it, but I would look at having the collective bargaining process available if the employees so voted on that."
Clark: "If the employees...?"
Hagan: "They would have the authority to make that decision."
Clark: "So, if the NCAE wanted collective bargaining rights, you would support that?"
Hagan: "Yes."
Clark: "Even though current state law currently prohibits that?"
Hagan: "Yes."
On Sept. 8, Hagan called Binker and said, "I obviously misspoke," adding, "you know first hand how business friendly I am."
The paper published this statement from Hagan yesterday: "Once I'm elected to the U.S. Senate, I want you to know that I will never support a bill at the federal level that mandates states allow collective bargaining of state government employees. I truly believe that's a state's rights issue."
4 comments:
Can someone explain, preferably Hagan, how allowing public employees to unionize is at odds with being pro-business?
On it's face, it seems as if Hagan is really just anti-worker, but I'm withholding that conclusion to see if I'm missing something -- if there is something about allowing public employees to unionize that is anti-business.
Don Vaughan has said he will support state employees having collective bargaining rights,we will have to see what hagan says about letting him do that.
Anonymous: I asked Vaughan about the allegation that he supports giving state employees collective bargaining rights during at interview at the TREBIC reception on Nov. 9. He responded: "No. Untrue. Period.... Absolutely not true.... We don't need collective bargaining in the state of North Carolina. Period."
Where did you get your information?
Excuse me, that would be Oct. 9.
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