Union leaders: ObamaCare will “destroy the very health and wellbeing” of America’s working class

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Hot Air:

Ed Morrissey

7/15/13

 

Bear in mind that Big Labor went to bat for ObamaCare in a big way throughout the months-long debate over its passage. When Tea Party activists demonstrated to raise opposition to the legislation, unions like the Teamsters counterprotested, sometimes violently, in an attempt to intimidate conservatives into acquiescence. Unions spent big money in the 2010 election hoping to protect Democrats from the consequences of their votes on ObamaCare, arguing that the bill would help the working class by sticking it to insurers and fat cats.

 

Now that the law is about to be implemented, though, it suddenly looks awful to union leaders like Teamsters president James Hoffa, UFCW president Joseph Hanson, and UNITE-HERE president D. Taylor. The Wall Street Journal [url=http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2013/07/12/union-letter-obamacare-will-destroy-the-very-health-and-wellbeing-of-workers/'published a letter on Friday that the union leaders sent to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi expressing shock, shock that a massive and expensive government intervention would screw up the labor market:

 

(Snip)

 

Maybe if theyd listened to Tea Party activists instead of shouting them down, the union leaders might have figured this out in 2009. Opponents of the bill argued all along that the incentives presented by ObamaCare would kill employer-based coverage, either by depressing hiring or by depressing hours. Weve gotten both since the bills passage, just as critics predicted.

 

(Snip)

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If only someone had said something@ Oh Wait....

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Morning Bell: Even Unions Are Turning on Obamacare

Amy Payne and Chris Jacobs

July 16, 2013

 

Its not every day that union bosses sound like policy experts at The Heritage Foundation.

 

But the beginning of the Obamacare letter from the heads of three major unions the Teamsters, the United Food and Commercial Workers, and UNITE-HEREto Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is eerily similar to our experts writings.

 

The unions, of course, were heavy supporters of Obamacare, but even they cant deny its effects now.

 

 

It gets worse:

 

 

The unintended consequences of the ACA are severe. Perverse incentives are already creating nightmare scenarios: First, the law creates an incentive for employers to keep employees work hours below 30 hours a week. Numerous employers have begun to cut workers hours to avoid this obligation, and many of them are doing so openly. The impact is two-fold: fewer hours means less pay while also losing our current health benefits

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Manchin: Trim Job Not Enough for Obamacare, Needs a Pretty Good Haircut

Andrew Johnson

July 18, 2013

 

Senator Joe Manchin bucked his own party this morning and slammed Obamacares far-reaching tentacles and ramifications. He also criticized it for running counter to American values.

 

As Americans, we dont like to be told what we have to do, the West Virginia Democrat said on Fox News,and if we dont do it, youre going to penalize me as my country, as my government.

 

Coming from a union-heavy state, Manchin expressed that union leaders are concerned about the law affecting employees hours and jobs, especially with the continued uncertainty of the laws implementation and delays.

 

(Snip)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6DAsZcGpvo