Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Labor's Role in the Election

Details

  • Description

    Chris Stirewalt, Ford O'Connell and Doug Thornell discuss labor unions.

  • Duration 8:45
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

Is what it looked like in Madison Wisconsin wave back in wintertime of 2011.

As union protesters from government worker unions laid siege to the State Capitol in a fight over government worker.

Rules that the new governor of that state -- to -- close to limit the power of state worker unions there.

And this is power play welcome back and Internet I will make a prediction.

Before this election is over scenes like that one -- play out in other cities across this country as workers.

As government worker unions and private sector unions.

Fight for what -- AC as a crucial turning point election in their existence really in the United States.

And we will talk about that issue with our distinguished panel -- -- -- hell but now.

In order to excite you or -- Internet we offer you rich Edson.

The correspondents -- the Fox Business Network.

Who somehow has managed to end in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina.

On a beautiful April day rich -- how are you pulling the scam off.

You know I will say that the only place Kristen I'd rather be his studio three well in Washington DC with you folks right now.

That's is that so I thinks that that's -- is the best in the business gentlemen.

All right I know I know that you're down their -- because this is -- turning moment this is an inflection point.

In what has turned into a long running raging battle.

Over.

President Obama's National Labor Relations Board and the Boeing corporation.

It is and -- it continues today's.

Event here -- going to South Carolina.

This is the first 787 dreamliner to roll off the line here.

At Boeing's new facility in North Charleston and the significance of that is this was the center of the fight with the National Labor Relations Board remember.

Boeing decided to expand here the machinists union.

In Washington State said -- retaliating against us the national labor relations -- General Counsel sided with then they went through this.

-- fight it -- -- to -- it national political fight with Republicans say that the president was anti worker anti business how would you be against.

Company moving from South Carolina -- like they're moving off our shores the National Labor Relations Board said that -- -- clear violation of the law here while this was all settled.

When following in the machinists union got together with a brand new contract back in Washington State -- also.

Build more 730 sevens there so this complaint went away but the NLRB fight is not going away.

You've got the question as to whether the president's appointments the National Labor Relations Board is recess appointments for constitutional.

That's working through the court system there's -- NLRB ruling I -- -- posting employee rights and small businesses that's something that's been suspended him working its way.

Through the court system and also what Republicans have branded ambush elections moving up the timeline for union elections.

That rule is something that the senate has voted to repeal it lost in the senate.

But today you know the National Labor Relations Board I don't know of many folks -- of -- a few years ago and it's really been a national story since that and because of this facility behind me.

Rejects and he may be a -- but he's our grifter Internet we love them thank you very much for joining us from sunny South Carolina have a great -- -- -- -- -- Okay I wanna searching for because you you you've got the short end of the stake in the last segment you're very very good about that.

Didn't president Qaeda win -- on this whole Boeing deal just looking at this narrow lanes he had to please unions because the NLRB -- -- in this now.

But they're still playing still rolled off the assembly line there's rich ads and down their soaking up the rays so did you did the president get -- -- base but at the same time.

Aloud whether the process to prevail doesn't he win this.

Yes and he needed to win this because essentially if we're headed for the very tight election we don't think we are on the electoral map is going to be big labor that's gonna push the president over the and that's why Mitt Romney really has to be cognizant of the role that big labor plays in this election particularly in the states of Pennsylvania.

Ohio Wisconsin and Michigan even Nevada to an extent yeah.

And we asked to do is not come out there and -- unions are -- Unions -- bad.

We have to come out there and say is this is about workers' choice this is about whether -- wanna join a union but I don't.

And really that's what he has suspended as and he has seemed to be very careful his rhetoric because he doesn't the unions -- -- -- from the -- Doug the NLRB is okay as.

That's well that that Reagan guy that you mentioned before had a pretty good way he was a former member of labor union himself and he had a pretty good way of talking.

-- union workers about choice and -- economic opportunity.

But Doug NLRB as are our friend -- Jackson pointed out.

Is.

It's nobody knew about it now it's this political -- sure because.

These recess appointments and all of this stuff.

In terms of how the president talks to -- Because remember just as these union groups that -- talked about in Ohio Pennsylvania Wisconsin center -- -- like Virginia.

And in states like Colorado.

It's not as.

Cool to be big union friendly and you know that's exactly right I mean I think the NRB like the EPA some of these other agencies are.

Are in the news largely because Republicans have done a good job of elevating them and putting them in the news.

I think the president.

Though yeah I agree with Ford I think that the challenge for Mitt Romney is obviously how he talks about unions and I think that what you've seen over the last.

Five months six months actually the last year is that.

The unions and actually got their -- back to large very -- -- for a little while.

There was talk that maybe the effectiveness of the union says it was a thing of the past and team you saw in Ohio with a referendum on collective bargaining you saw in Wisconsin Hillary's side.

He's so well I mean you saw -- -- ready yourself organized and out the referendum the recall all of the governor and you saw in Pennsylvania was couple Democrats.

Unions are really starting to flex their muscles and it.

I think it would just be a real mistake if if the Romney campaign you know went after working families in unions because.

President got 60% of union households like.

It in very good environment there's no really I mean I think that -- that were that.

Romney's campaign would make a mistake if they continue this campaign that is largely for primary for that would have been played in the primary care.

Fortunately is this very disturbing to hear you guys in broad agreement here but four and let's drill down on this a bit.

That the biggest issue that's going on in American labor right now is that private sector unions are could put.

They are basically -- -- -- we're down to 12% 13% of the private labor force being unionized.

That have for a long time numbers held fairly steady at a quarter to a third of the private -- was unionized and they're headed for single digits and they're headed for trouble.

Meantime.

Public sector unions have.

Boom it -- -- the level of organization actually American federation.

Eight -- and -- municipal employees.

And other government worker unions have.

Boom.

Shouldn't -- doesn't he have a people don't like these government worker unions by and large should Romney go after these folks.

He should but he has to be very very careful about it would be you know as we're seeing with Scott Walker you.

These guys the best foot soldiers of the Democratic Party yes.

And -- President Obama has to do everything he -- to keep them happy or else they won't pull -- lever for.

So Mitt Romney has to be very gentle about how he talks about it at the end of the day we need to find a way to push these down because it's actually hurting America.

I won't let you have the second the last word last word goes to you Internet.

The wolf we'll tell you that -- tank says three dollar fifty cent gas -- -- will win in a landslide -- Probably probably right and who are these one or 2% of folks.

Who are never sure about anything if you don't have an opinion why go to these things and I will say this to you get rid Rodney Griffin 57 say this -- you.

I've long been an advocate for -- -- when it comes to an informed if you don't have an opinion don't just make -- guess based on the -- last name we thank -- -- Obama rhetoric we are right aren't gentlemen you guys have a great weekend enjoy the correspondents -- weekend and all -- Russian.

And you.

We should right now get ready for on the -- with Jonathan on the back -- his regular time and now as we'd like to do every -- we -- -- leave you.

The word from our friend Charles.

But he is -- Herbert Hoover.

American foreign policy and -- -- to be the spokesman.

For administration on these affairs I think is rather I run.

Load More