The South Dakota State Democrat Party staff might be a little nervous about what’s going to happen this weekend with the vote for whoever is going to be the chairman for the next 4 years. Because they’ve just announced that they’ve unionized:
“As the former president of the Sioux Falls Education Association, I am pleased our staff has decided to unionize,” said South Democratic Party Chair Ann Tornberg. “We believe that South Dakota’s economy should work for everyone, not just those at the top, and part of that means allowing workers to organize, to bargain collectively, and to earn livable wages. By unionizing, our staff is showing that our values are not just something we talk about, they are something we live out and fight for every day.”
and…
We are very proud of the staff of the South Dakota Democratic Party for joining with their Brothers and Sisters across the nation in fighting for Good Jobs, Living Wages, and Dignity at work.”
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 304A is the largest and most diverse AFL-CIO affiliated union in South Dakota.
So, was Ann Tornberg not paying her staff a liveable wage or providing them dignity at work before?
And how is this vote going to affect the ability of whoever is chair after this weekend’s vote to come in, review staff, and build their own team?
Could be interesting to watch.
I dunno; for the crappy job her staff has done at getting Demos elected they should maybe only make a buck an hour? Ann should move to another state where her brilliant ideas are already in force.
Collective bargaining only works if you’re a lobbyist for a trade association, right?
Unions are bad. They are bad.
Probably be the smallest union ever!
I don’t think these guys know anything about campaigning. You’re always short on cash, never have enough time, work long hours for little pay (if you’re not a volunteer, then who knows what the situation will be). The whole process is billed as a giant going-out-of-business sale. What if there is an actual dispute? Does that play itself out in the papers, “campaign at war with itself”? Dollars devoted to TV spots must to be diverted to salaries? Union negotiations? Lawyer fees? Any conflict of interest when the endorsed candidate needs extra dollars for the campaign, but the workers want a pay increase? Absurd.
Will they strike if they don’t get at least $15/hour, insurance, paid time off, etc?