After a group of 9 people from Minnesota filed a federal lawsuit to stop a unionization vote of home care assistants, a spokesman for Gov. Dayton accused them of being right wing crazies:
“This is just another extremist right wing group trying to tell Minnesotans that they cannot decide for themselves whether to vote to form a union,” Matt Swenson, a spokesman for the governor, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Tell that to Heidi Highet of Rochester. Here’s what she wrote about forced unionization:
As a licensed child care provider and Democrat, I resent the implication that opposition to this union is a right wing issue. I am as far from the right as you can get! This is an issue that crosses all political boundaries. I have spoken with providers from every side of the political spectrum and none of them support this. The only ones speaking out in favor of this are the highly paid union representatives.
I voted for Mark Dayton. He will not get my vote again.
This is about political payback for large amounts of money given to legislative campaigns. As a Democrat, I am outraged our legislators sold us out to the highest bidder.
Perhaps Mr. Swenson should talk with Robyn Kamps Kim. Here’s Robyn’s story in her own words:
I am a registered Democrat and have been a Democrat all my life. That is what I have found so disheartening that my own party is doing this. I have even messaged my fellow Democrats telling them essentially they are pissing off their own party, but they do not seem to listen. Although I am TOTALLY against unionization, I remain a Democrat.
If Heidi and Robyn can’t set Mr. Swenson straight, then I’d just direct him to read Jenni Branchaw’s op-ed:
I am normally a DFL voter just in general. I do vary once in a while depending on certain things I feel strongly about. Like I knew Alice Johnson was for the union and she didn’t not understand what this union meant to do and not do.
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It is rather shocking how many people voting do not know all the facts. They keep saying everyone needs the vote, well then let everyone have a vote. Alice wouldn’t not listen even before being elected and so I did not vote for her. I voted for Pam Wolf.
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I knew Pam was against the child care union and understood why a lot of providers are against it and how it wasn’t set up fairly. But she lost, I thought it was a sign to stick with my party. Boy was I wrong. I did vote (regrettably now) for Dayton. I do not know if I can vote straight party ever again.
Whether he knew it or not, Mr. Swenson just pissed off a bunch of women. Most of the people who fought against unionization of child care providers and home health care workers are women. Swenson’s diatribe is typical DFL insult. The DFL’s first instinct when people publicly oppose the DFL’s policy initiatives is to characterize them as right wing crazies. Clearly, that isn’t the case with Heidi, Robyn and Jenni.
Rather than actually find out the pertinent details before insulting people, Gov. Dayton and the DFL just jumped to the conclusion that the people opposing them are Democrats themselves. Gov. Dayton and the DFL apparently think that you’ll support everything in the DFL’s agenda if you’ve ever voted Democrat. Gov. Dayton and the DFL are wrong about that, especially when it comes to forced unionization.
I don’t know if any of these women will vote for another Republican this year. It’s quite possible they won’t. I don’t know. What’s clear, though, is that they won’t be voting for Gov. Dayton or the DFL legislator that represents their district.
The DFL calls itself the party of the little guy. Apparently, the DFL means that they’re the party of the little guy until the DFL’s special interests says otherwise.
Technorati: SEIU, Home Care Assistants, Union Organizing, Mark Dayton, Matt Swenson, Special Interests, DFL
