Web Search powered by YAHOO! SEARCH
04.14.2008 10:31 am

McCaskill on unions, politics

WASHINGTON – Sen. Claire McCaskill spoke at breakfast Monday to a group of St. Louis union construction leaders about politics and about the importance of unions to the success of the local construction industry.

They were here for the Building & Construction Trades Legislative Conference, which has brought about 3,000 members to Washington.

McCaskill also thanked them for their support in her tough race for a Senate seat.

Focusing on politics, McCaskill said she would never suggest that presidential candidate Hillary Clinton drop out of the race, but she added that the math favors rival Barack Obama. To end up with more delegates, McCaskill said, Clinton needs to win 60 percent of the vote in each of the remaining primaries, then capture 68 percent of the undecided super-delegates.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...
58 comments

Comments are closed.

Wow and it was probably pandering at its best. Did she ask them how much of the poor middle class worker’s’ dues they will be spending on Barack’s campaign?

— A CENTRIST
10:12 pm April 14th, 2008

I wonder why so many of them were able to make the trek to Washington, maybe it is because they are mostly out of work and sitting in the union halls right now.

That’s what happens when you price yourself out of a job and stiffle the economy. Can you imagine trying to build a home/business or even a school etc. Prevailing Wage in Missouri is $52.63/hour for Electricians, $40.27/hr for a Carpenter, $35.51/hour for a laborer (unskilled), $50.68/hr for a plumber.

I would be telling kids to drop out of college, quit school, go to work in the construction trades. Hell, it pays ALOT more than the average kid getting out of college. CNN reports that the average college grad with degrees in Chemical Engineering is making $54,000, Electrical Engineering $52,000, Computer Engineering $51,000 Business Admin $39,000. and it goes down from there. So if an 18 year old high school drop out works a year as an unskilled laborer diggin ditches, then he made more than even the most highly educated college grad. And the unions complain about pay parity….

— Union Facts
10:15 am April 15th, 2008

What you are failing to mention Union Facts is that your “wages” include fring benefits and varies throughout the state of Missouri. The prevailing/hourly wage less fringes for an electrician in the St. Louis area is $32.60 per hour.

http://www.dolir.mo.gov/ls/prevailingwage/general_wage_order.pdf page 42

Union electricians must complete 8,000 hours of training and starting pay is less than half of what a journeyman electrician earns.

All in all I would say that is is pretty good advice to join a union. But at the same time I’d say go to college, become a CEO and earn an income like William McGuire CEO of UnitedHealth Group’s hourly wages were $62,400. Even at your inflated hourly rate of $52.63 per hour an electrician would have to work 1,185 hours to make what he makes in one hour!

So dropping out of college is probably not a good career choice.

— Bubba Union
7:23 am April 16th, 2008

Centrist Federal law prohibits unions donating their members dues to politicians.

— Bubba Union
7:30 am April 16th, 2008

Union Facts - You neglected to mention that you get a higher quality ditch when you have a union laborer dig it.

Bubba Union - Whether it is cash wages or bloated benefit packages, that’s what it costs somebody to hire a union worker. And on top of those absurd wages, your work rules drive up costs even higher. It takes three different union people just to carry a slide projector into America’s Center and set it up for a presentation. You guys stand around leaning on your shovels and expect us to just pay, pay, pay. Forget it, Bubba Union - you can starve for all I care.

And as far as your denial that unions donate to politicians … well, just look at any Democrat’s campaign contribution disclosure. There’s union money floating around all over the place. The federal prohibition is a narrow one, and your union leaders are clever enough to get around it.

— Nick Kasoff
8:26 pm April 17th, 2008

I won’t be going hungry Nick, I’m a very well trained professional tradesman. I do more work in less time with less waste than a lesser skilled SCAB.

The money donated to politicians is not money from union dues. That money comes from a voluntary fund. I know it’s hard for you to believe but even us dumb union members believe that we should have a voice in the political process.

Your right our wages are bloated………….compared to China where they pay 50 cents per hour. Recently in the business section of the Post Dispatch there was an article from the China Chamber of Commerece that says they are worried about losing their wage advantage because their wages are increasing 9 to 12% per year. They are losing their 50 cent an hour jobs to Viet Nam and India.

In your opinion what would be a good wage for the man that wires the hospital where you may have to go? Or the man that is responsible for the pipes that carry toxic gasses throughout the same hospital? These jobs are not low skilled. We have to complete an 8,000 hour apprenticeship program.

You failed to mention bloated CEO pay.

— Bubba Union
6:39 am April 18th, 2008

Slot machines…

Slot machine…

— Slot machines
3:56 am April 25th, 2008

Poker Online…

Online Poker…

— Poker Online
4:30 am April 26th, 2008

Online Poker Sites…

Online Poker Sites
Casino Games
Play Poker
Online Gambling
Keno
Free Slots
Top Online Casinos…

— Online Poker Sites
2:59 am April 29th, 2008

Polyphonic Ringtones free…

Create Ringtones

Cricket Ringtones

Ctu Ringtone

Dave matthews band Ringtones

Disney Ringtones

Download free Ringtones

Download Ringtones

Elvis Ringtones

Final fantasy Ringtones

Funny Ringtone

Funny Ringtones

Ghost Ringt…

— Polyphonic Ringtones free
11:30 am May 1st, 2008

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 » Show All