Trump’s pick for Labor Secretary is his worst nominee yet.
The Wall Street Journal reports Trump Nominates Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a teachers union favorite, to be his Labor Secretary.
Hard to believe, but Donald Trump on Friday night nominated a favorite of teachers union chief Randi Weingarten as his Labor Secretary. Why would Mr. Trump want to empower labor bosses who oppose his economic agenda and spent masses to defeat him?
Mr. Trump’s regrettable choice is Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Ms. Weingarten on Thursday tweeted her support for the freshman Republican. Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, who spoke at the Republican National Convention, has also been pulling for her. In a Truth Social post, Mr. Trump said she’ll work toward “historic cooperation between Business and Labor.” But Ms. Chavez-DeRemer has backed union giveaways like the Pro Act, which are not “cooperation.”
Mr. O’Brien no doubt didn’t want to alienate his Democratic friends who have done the union’s bidding. This includes sponsoring the Pro Act, which Ms. Chavez-DeRemer endorsed. The bill would override right-to-work laws in 26 states that give workers a choice of joining a union. It would also subvert secret-ballot elections, which protect workers from union intimidation.
The Pro Act would effectively ban gig jobs and codify the Biden National Labor Relations Board’s joint-employer standard, which would upend the franchise business model and contracting arrangements to make it easier for unions to organize workers. The result would be less autonomy for franchisees and small businesses that contract with bigger firms.
The Pro Act would essentially return labor relations to the days before the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act when strikes were rampant and labor mobility was harder. It’s a pro-union but anti-worker bill.
It gets worse. Ms. Chavez-DeRemer backs the misnamed Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, which would require all states and localities to collectively bargain with government workers. This is a recipe to turn Texas, Florida and other GOP-controlled states into fiscal basket-cases like Illinois, California and New York.
Putting Ms. Chavez-DeRemer in charge of Labor will make labor bosses, not workers, more powerful again.
This pick is truly rat vomit nauseating. We should be expanding right to work laws not trashing them.
We need to end collective bargaining of public unions, not pandering to them.
Has Trump learned nothing from Chicago?
A Lesson Not Learned
Consider the September 19 WSJ article The Teamsters’ Lesson for Trump
The mighty Teamsters union this week declined to endorse Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump is doing the happy dance. He might pause his shuffle to consider what he did—and didn’t—do to merit that honor.
The Teamsters’ Wednesday announcement that it would forgo a presidential endorsement for the first time in 28 years was both seismic and disingenuous. President Sean O’Brien undoubtedly regrets his decision to solicit the opinions of the 1.3 million workers he represents. Aware that a strong Trump sentiment runs through his rank and file, Mr. O’Brien went through the motions of conducting “the most inclusive, democratic, and transparent” endorsement process in Teamsters’ history. He ran member polling, interviewed both Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris, and requested speaking slots at both party conventions.
That was a big mistake. The idea was to give the union cover when it did what it always does—endorse the Democrat. But the leadership didn’t count on a nonignorable result. An electronic member poll that began in late July showed 60% rank-and-file support for Mr. Trump. A frantic do-over poll barely reduced the figure—to 58%. Ms. Harris didn’t help, not bothering to show up for her Teamsters sit-down until this Monday.
The Harris team likes to list what makes the Biden administration “the most pro-union” in history: carve-outs for union contractors in infrastructure projects, federal officials and agencies that take only labor’s side in union elections or disputes, hostility to business and independent contractors, a huge union pension bailout in 2021. In short, a narrow agenda geared toward rigging the game for unions at the expense of everyone else.
Mr. Trump might think hard on this, as his campaign increasingly resorts to pandering handouts to buy votes. No taxes on overtime! No taxes on tips! The populist whisperers are pushing him to abandon longstanding free-market principles to suck up to union leaders further—including a minimum-wage increase, cracking down on job creators, throwing in for union elections or, God forbid, backing away from right to work. But the lesson of Biden-Harris is that all the pandering in the world won’t make up for a failed broader agenda. Besides, the GOP never has stood a chance against Democrats in any pander war, and it never will.
Blue-collar workers liked Mr. Trump before his suck-ups. They’ve been with him since the first term, when he pursued a Reaganesque agenda that brought them prosperity. They’ve stayed with him despite blatant Biden union brown-nosing. And that’s because—shocking though it might be to liberals—millions of union members remain red-blooded Americans, with a fierce belief in capitalism and competition. Many also appreciate the longstanding GOP approach to unions, which emphasizes liberty for workers—namely, that union membership and political dues must be voluntary, and that unions must be transparent and honest in their dealings.
Mr. Trump has far more to lose by abandoning core principles—including any success in a second term—than he does to gain with union kowtowing. That’s the lesson of this week’s Teamsters endorsement moment.
A Faustian Bargain
Is this a union payback for the Teamsters not endorsing Harris?
The biggest problem with this idiotic pick is the Democrat Senators will all back it.
Let’s see what the true believes concoct to support this monstrosity.
If voters wanted the problems of the Chicago school system, they would have voted for Harris.
Best Pick, Worst Pick
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, a teachers union favorite, for Labor Secretary its Trump’s worst pick.
Tom Homan for border czar is Trump’s best pick.
For discussion, please see Border Czar Tom Homan Rips Illinois Governor JB Pritzker On Illegal Immigrants
Part of best and worst is ability to get the vote through the Senate. I expect this pick is likely to go trough. And Democrats will be cheering.
Those who are nominated and allowed to pass through the system may only last 2 years anyways. She is just a Secretary and Trump will mostly ignore her
hard top believe that sheeple believe trump picks anyone. they are chosen for him.
Perhaps this is a gesture to get Tulsi in, in exchange?
I don;’t think rats vomit which is why warren is a good rat killer….they can’t vomit it out.
Is this what we voted for?
still believe you voted? lol
AI robots are already being deployed with phenomenal success. Most union jobs will be obsolete soon.
I agree, but have you read Art of the Deal?
Mish : She was my congresswomen who lost to a Marxist. I consider her a “RINO” ! She did everything for Oregon when it came to Federal tax dollars supporting the bad drug laws here. She’s nothing but a career seeking blood sucker living off the government. I read the labor secretary get $221,000 a year plus benefits. That’s unreasonable , hope Elon points that out !
Trump won. He should get to pick his cabinet. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt as long as his picks are approved by the Senate.
I thought you were going to say “approved by Satan” then
I heard he is going to have Apprentice: government edition
It is theoretically possible to be pro union and also pro-efficiency. Unions can hypothetically support great jobs for great employees and work with employers to fire bad people.
I’ve never seen or heard of examples of this happening, but there’s nothing in the law that says unions must be a dead weight to drag society down.
Unions are definitely a dead weight if they endorse Republican and Democrats that drown us in debt, which is what theyve been doing.
“theoretically”
“I’ve never seen or heard of examples of this happening”
“Lol”
Weingarten is a demon. Literally. Department of Education has to go. This is a bizarre choice. Maybe thinks that Labor is not that important, but throws the Dems a sop. No government workers should be unionized. They are sucking the teat of the taxpayer. That hurts just mentioning it.
Weingarten was one on the leads in the cast of Covid Shutdown Theater.
100% GOP control. No excuses. If the GOP/Trump fails (again) they will truly prove themselves impotent and incompetent. Take us to the promised land.
Pro union. Openly gay secretary of treasury. Once again proving the big tent party of the people. You stay in your hate zone all you want. You had 4 years of failure
Sounds like a horse trading and political gamesmanship
Well, since sociology is just an extended exercise in labeling adhominems for diversity, inclusion, and equity, she’s from the Beaver State run by little beavers in the tradition of Rachel Carson while into building resource impediments to prevent DDT use and climate change when not tearing down Klamath river dams to save the salmon from beaver induced climate change with additional land based wind farms that kill bats and spotted owls with planned more expensive off shore wind farms known for killing endangered whales and sea going birds while polluting the oceans with plastic. It’s a win win for the Lear jet flying Meatheads golfing at Bandon Dunes Oregon when not playing at Pebble Beach Monterey California without the Carmel river dam, if not a win for the sea otter, snowy plover, and almost extinct California condor. Labeling requires tradeoffs in a successful banana republic as well as conspiracies on an exclusive need to know basis to prevent beaver caused climate change for little Greta and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek. .. . . . . . .
Agreed wholeheartedly, Mish.
The Department of Education should be buried with Jimmy Carter’s corpse, if not sooner.
I would agree. This one is a head scratcher.
I can only assume Trump want’s someone with established connections to the teacher’s unions to help push through a significant scaling back of the Dept of Education. In addition, there’s an upside for unions if Trump is able to deport a lot of illegal aliens working in trades with significant union representation.
I’m sure there’s a strategy in play here. Fortunately, all of these cabinet picks can be replaced as needed.
There’s nothing to scratch your head about… trump got paid to put her there.
Send us a copy of the invoice.
lol
Trump is liked by Union Working American’s, and it has helped him make gains with unionized workers, and their Families. I am not sure what “Deal” if you will, that he is offering her. I am also unclear what is in place to assure she can’t go off the rails, if you will, but I would like to hear much more before making any judgments on her or the pick.
While it would add Diversity in the Cabinet, that’s not imperative imo. Being a Woman adds nothing to the mix, as his cabinet and elsewhere, He will have many. Also not sure why she didn’t get re-elected in Oregon? I would need to understand more about that too.
I go with trusting Trump on this pick over my feelings, and especially on the outside looking in, and without much in the way of facts, and expectations. It may be a great pick for many reasons, as she could help in many areas, but that’s only if it’s done right, and she is onboard, which again, I have not heard enough yet to be for or against her…
Every decent sized municipality and county are massively unionized. Florida hasn’t become Illinois.
Threw up in my mouth more than a little bit re this pick, too. However Mish will undoubtedly get push back from the “He’s Playing 5 dimensional Chess Against the Deep State” types. This is most likely a pure political play because Teamster head Sean O’Brien wanted her and Trump doesn’t care deeply about the Labor department.
My wife took a teaching job for 6 months as an art teacher. Here’s what we’ve learned….
My wife tells these kids that they’re going to fail if they don’t apply themselves and do the lesson. She tells them that all they have to do is participate and that art is their easiest class to get an “A”. Most kids respond that they don’t care. So she gives them a zero.
My wife was so happy to teach art but she says it’s more like running a reformatory and she hates it. Kids don’t want to learn and the school doesn’t equip her with the tools to do her job effectively. Most of her kids are a mix of blacks and Hispanics with a few Caucasians mixed in. There are 45 kids to each class because there are not enough teachers. The school system is a failure.
Yeah I have lots of respect for those willing to teach. Especially in today’s environment.
Enough to see them paid commensurately for what they do?
My Daughters a Teacher, and just left her inner city school to head to the suburbs (where she lives as well). Between the commute, and some of the things you eluded too, she had enough. “Loves Teaching” but to a point, and I guess she found that point…
The GOP disposition towards workers is to cut wages to the bone. There is no freedom nor competition to work in an economy dominated by large corporations. The free market bs is just that.
Hey pal, the democrats have been in office for 4 years and are still in charge. It’s not the Republicans. Cry harder.
This is what happens when billionaires own the government.
Bill Clinton and one of the idiot Daley Brothers were part of it, too, just sayin’ .
“rat vomit nauseating” is a great turn of phrase!
Gag a maggot off a gut wagon.
Unions are voting Republican for the first time in history. Trump threw them a bone.
More like: Unions are staunch, economically illiterate, supporters of making Americans less free. As is Trump. Match made in totalitarian heaven. And American hell.
They’re panicked about trannies… though I doubt many of them have ever seen one in real life.
I have Family members that have been in Unions (Various as Retail, Truckers, shipping, etc.) all their lives. In my Family’s experience, the Workers to a degree, are very Conservative in nature as people, and their beliefs, but the Union Bosses and “Top Tier Structure” is “Loaded With Leftist Ideologies”
He’ll do a better job than the democrats. See my top comment.