From A Labor Day Long Ago: GOP Proud Of Expanding Union Membership, Expanding Social Security
2 comments:
Anonymous
said...
In the early 1900s the Republican Party was the party of the working man. My grandfather and three of my great uncles were electricians and members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). They were all porminent members of the Republican Party. They were all located in Pittsburgh, PA, one of the most unionized areas in the United States at the time. For many years, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County was dominated by the Republican Party.
The tide turned with the Depression and the fact that Hoover and the Republicans did nothing to stop the economic slide. My ancestors all stuck with the Republican Party but many other Union Members jumped to the Democrats.
I do not currently live in Western Pennsylvania but I have many high school classmates, College Fraternity brothers and numerous cousins in the area. I keep an ear to the local politics because I know a lot of the politicians in that area.
From what I gather many of the rank and file union members are breaking away from the Union endorsements of the Democratic Party. Some local are endorsing the Republicans this time.
A major issue in Western Pennsylvania is fracking in the oil and gas industry. Biden was against it and now he is sort of for it, Harris is totally against fracking. If the democrats are against fracking then I assume Trump will be for it.
The local unions endorsing Republicans are an example of voting against your own self interests. Democrats have concerns about people getting sick not cutting jobs.
2 comments:
In the early 1900s the Republican Party was the party of the working man. My grandfather and three of my great uncles were electricians and members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). They were all porminent members of the Republican Party. They were all located in Pittsburgh, PA, one of the most unionized areas in the United States at the time. For many years, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County was dominated by the Republican Party.
The tide turned with the Depression and the fact that Hoover and the Republicans did nothing to stop the economic slide. My ancestors all stuck with the Republican Party but many other Union Members jumped to the Democrats.
I do not currently live in Western Pennsylvania but I have many high school classmates, College Fraternity brothers and numerous cousins in the area. I keep an ear to the local politics because I know a lot of the politicians in that area.
From what I gather many of the rank and file union members are breaking away from the Union endorsements of the Democratic Party. Some local are endorsing the Republicans this time.
A major issue in Western Pennsylvania is fracking in the oil and gas industry. Biden was against it and now he is sort of for it, Harris is totally against fracking. If the democrats are against fracking then I assume Trump will be for it.
Politics is sometimes interesting.
The local unions endorsing Republicans are an example of voting against your own self interests. Democrats have concerns about people getting sick not cutting jobs.
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