By SAM HANANEL (AP)
WASHINGTON — The man expected to become the AFL-CIO's next president said Monday that lawmakers would pay a political price if they abandon a government-run option in any health care overhaul.
"We need to be a labor movement that stands by our friends, punishes its enemies and challenges those who, well, can't seem to decide which side they're on," said Richard Trumka, currently the AFL-CIO's secretary-treasurer.
In remarks to the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, Trumka singled out lawmakers "who say they are all for health care reform, but refuse to stand up for a public system that puts people before profits."
Trumka's remarks came in a broader speech that outlined his goals for making labor unions more appealing to younger workers and stemming the historic decline of union rolls.
Labor unions have been among the most vocal boosters of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. But Trumka and other labor leaders have expressed frustration with signs that Obama and other lawmakers are wavering in their support of a public option that would cover millions without health care insurance.
"I think they need to understand that that you can have a bill that guarantees quality, affordable health care for every American, or you can have a bill the Republicans will vote for," Trumka said. "But you can't have both."
The warning is consistent with comments that Trumka has made in several recent public appearances. Union support for Democrats is often taken for granted, but Trumka has said the nation's largest labor federation would do more to hold elected officials accountable if they fail to back labor's causes.
That includes support for a measure that would make it easier for workers to organize unions. Trumka said he still expects a version of the Employee Free Choice Act to be passed in Congress this year, though Senate leaders have said the bill is on hold while lawmakers address health care and other more pressing legislation.
Trumka said passage of the union organizing bill would help rebuild the economy by boosting union membership and raising workers' wages through the collective bargaining process. Business groups adamantly oppose the measure.
Trumka is poised to become the AFL-CIO's president in mid-September at the organization's quadrennial convention in Pittsburgh. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that Obama plans to speak at the convention on Sept. 15.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce planned to begin airing its second round of television and radio ads opposing the Democratic plan on Tuesday morning in 21 states, aimed mostly at lawmakers who seem undecided. Chamber officials said the buy would total about the same as the first round of commercials, which began airing about three weeks ago and cost about $7 million.
The ad accuses Democratic leaders of trying to rush the bill through Congress because it would force higher taxes and deeper budget deficits.
"The fast sale on government-run health care? No way," the ad says.
