Ranking: 8
Total contributions to super PACs: $2.3 million*
- $2.3 million to Workers’ Voice (super PAC formerly known as AFL-CIO Workers’ Voices PAC)
Notable federal hard money and 527 contributions:
- More than $1.2 million in PAC donations to Democratic and Republican candidates during the 2007-2008 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics
Total spent on federal lobbying (2007-2011): $21 million
Lobbying issues: Higher education, defense, finance, health care, collective bargaining rights.
Background:
The umbrella organization of 56 unions represents 12 million workers, including 10 large public employee unions. Its super PAC, Workers’ Voices, raised $2.3 million, mostly from its own union dues and three $500,000 contributions from member unions: the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the American Federation of Teachers and UNITEHERE!
Richard Trumka, president since 2009, has been critical of President Barack Obama in the past, but made a groundbreaking speech on race ahead of the 2008 election, urging white union voters to ignore racist attacks on Obama and vote for the best, most pro-union candidate.
The union spent heavily ahead of the 2010 midterm elections, but its outspoken leader began to voice disappointment with the White House’s lack of movement on labor’s key issues as Obama’s first term progressed. Trumka threatened to divert the federation’s funds away from the Democratic establishment, suggesting that building a year-round political “structure for working people” would be a better use of union funds.
That structure is called “Working America,” a nationwide network of 3 million union and non-union activists that focuses on online, local and legislative advocacy efforts, centered around jobs.
Trumka’s threat to abandon the Democratic Party was an empty one. Trumka endorsed Obama in mid-March, saying that, despite differences with the president, the union has “never doubted Obama’s commitment to working families.”
AFL-CIO’s super PAC has not bought any airtime ahead of the 2012 election at this writing. In November, it gave $50,000 to We Are Ohio, which led a successful effort to defeat the state law that would have limited collective bargaining for public sector unions. Workers’ Voices also contributed $100,000 in November to the progressive super PAC American Bridge 21st Century, which produces anti-Romney videos and ads.
One of the AFL-CIO’s largest member unions, AFSCME, spent $1.5 million in Florida and Ohio on radio, TV, and Internet ads appealing to blue collar workers and criticizing the Republican frontrunner for opposing the auto bailout. Another ad entitled “Greed,” links Romney’s former employer, Bain Capital, to Medicare fraud.
Last updated: April 25, 2012
*2011-2012 election cycle; source, Federal Election Commission