If you know anything about unions, it’s likely that, for the most part, Democrats are for them and Republicans are not. It’s been that way pretty much since they were created – or at least since it was realized that unions aren’t nearly as good as they are cracked up to be.
As you know, Democrats will tell you it’s all about protecting workers and employees, making sure there is equal pay, equal treatment, and all the good things employees want/expect. And to be sure, it’s good to provide those things and to fight for employees who have been treated unfairly or are not receiving those.
However, as the Democratic Party of North Carolina is finding out, there are some definite downsides to unionizing.
You see, staff members of the state’s left-leaning party voted in favor of unionizing just after the first of the year. And for the most part, things have gone fairly well since then. In August, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee even ratified its first collective agreement with them.
However, as the November 2022 midterms draw ever closer, problems are starting to arise. Mainly, they focus on the fact union workers and employees believe they should be getting paid more and receiving more benefits for their work.
The state’s Democratic Party doesn’t exactly agree.
Things have escalated so much so over the past few weeks that an impasse of sorts has been reached, threatening a strike.
Now, to be clear the North Carolina Democratic Party Field Staff Union hasn’t said they would strike yet. but they haven’t exactly said they wouldn’t either.
According to the union, they “will not accept” the current pay field workers and organizers are receiving ($20-25 an hour for field workers and $15.36 an hour for Coordinated Organizers). Apparently, this is the same pay that was received two years ago during the 2020 election cycle.
And so, they are demanding more.
However, the state has been unwilling to oblige at this point. And for good reason.
After all, it’s not like campaigning has ever proved exceptionally fruitful when it comes to pay. In fact, if anything, campaigns are known for their “long hours for low pay,” as Axios reported.
Naturally, that fact isn’t going over all that well with the union.
Included in a string of Twitter posts by what can only be assumed to be the union’s verified Twitter account, is what some might call a threat. After noting that they would “not accept” the current terms, this was said, with a direct tag of the North Carolina Democratic Party.
“This campaign cannot run without us. We deserve a fair contract.”
Some might say that this isn’t really a threat. But to no small number of those in the NCDP, I bet it’s being taken as exactly that.
And all of this comes just two weeks before one of the most crucial elections in modern history. I mean, as it stands now, the Democratic Party, in all states, is on the verge of losing numerous seats of power. it is, in fact, expected that the House of Representatives and possibly even the US Senate could be flipped to a GOP majority in the coming weeks. And if that happens, who knows what’s in store for the currently Democratic-led White House?
This means, that at this point, the Democratic Party needs all the help it can get, before, during, and after the election. and yet, here we have a Democratic Party staff workers union threatening to strike at that exact time.
Of course, the Democrats have no one to blame but themselves on all accounts. I mean, they are in jeopardy of losing power because of their failed decisions and policies. And now, they might not even have enough staff workers because they are determined to do it the Democratic way, i.e., a union.
Basically, they have been forced to put their money where their mouth is and it’s bitten them in the ass.
As Axios noted, most Democrats, if asked candidly, would say they are pro-union. But as it turns out, unions don’t work all that well for campaigns.
So what are they supposed to do? Be against unions? That would likely hurt them just as much.
