D’s Peeved By Non-Union Bags At Convention
By Buddy Nevins
State Party Chair Rod Smith and his convention planners committed a major faux pas at last week’s state Democratic confab:
They bought and distributed non-union bags from China.
That’s a “no-no” in a party heavily supported by unions and at a convention attended by many union members.
One Democrat particularly annoyed was Tim Ross, a Broward activist from Wilton Manors and the Communications Workers of America.
Ross posted on Facebook:
“It is an affront to American working families that the Florida Democratic Party is handing out RED (should be blue) bags that are made in China at our convention with the FEA (state teacher union) and no union bug on them. Let’s address this at general session today and get a commitment to BUY AMERICAN! The cost for 2,500 blue bags made in the USA, printed in color on front and back by a union printer $8,700. The value of Labor being involved in an election, PRICELESS!”
According to reports of others at the convention, Ross’ complaints were largely brushed off by the party’s leadership. Leaders did promise, however, to “do better next time.”
November 3rd, 2011 at 10:10 am
Seriously,
This article is why the Dems cant accomplish anything. If this “activist” has nothing better to do than whine about the swag bags given out at the convention the dems will continue their cycle of failure. Here is a clue, if you would direct your efforts on grass roots work to get dems elected, maybe the dems as powers in charge could actually do good for the american worker besides spend an extra grand on made in the usa bags.
November 3rd, 2011 at 10:39 am
It is funny that they chose “red” bags to hand out. Someone did goof on that!
November 3rd, 2011 at 2:42 pm
This is very interesting because republicans always talk about patriotism but it is the democrats that always insist on buying American only when it comes to printing political flyers in local elections.
It is almost like a standard threat in Broward politics: “Is that a real union bug?”
Most of the union bugs are counterfeit anyway.
What sweet twists politics gives us.
Now a Broward democrat is trying to shake down the state party.
Nice!
November 3rd, 2011 at 5:40 pm
The cost of the 2500 Red Chinese bags were about $1.25 per bag.
If the Union would have done it, the cost would have been $3.50 per bag?
Then add the transportation costs of having union truckers deliver the bags. Union labor will then receive and open the boxes of bags. Of course, you will need only union workers to hand out the bags to the attendees. Then at the close of the evening union cleaning crews will collects the bags which were left behind, only to drive them away in a garbage truck, operated by a sanitation union driver.
One would then have to wonder why an organization would seek cheaper goods and services over seas?
Geeesh….
November 3rd, 2011 at 8:25 pm
If everyone tried harder to “buy American” maybe it would generate more JOBS!
November 4th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
I was in the Broward Teachers Union – TSP unit and I wasted so much that this example is a peanut. I am a high school dropout and was making $70K even after my position was eliminiated. With the blessing from my friend Pat and Ghost Thrasher I fought more than 10 sexual harrassment complains that were filed with the School Board EEO office. Unfortunately, this is the true picture of the union.
FROM BUDDY: There are readers like me who don’t know what the TSP unit is. It is apparently a lot of staff other than teachers.
This is from the BTU website about the TSP unit: “represents the employees who contribute to the inner-workings of the district…accountants, computer engineers, demographers, television production specialists, school nurses, transportation planners, and many other professions.”