In abstract
In California, Democrats hardly ever criticize organized labor, certainly one of their largest and wealthiest allies, so it’s exceptional that Democrats have harsh phrases towards a union for attacking a weak Democratic senator in a detailed race.
California’s high Senate Democrat referred to as a distinguished labor union “morally bankrupt” after it spent greater than $1 million to oppose the state’s most weak Democratic senator in a decent race that might put a Republican in his seat.
The union apparently spent the cash towards Sen. Josh Newman of Fullerton as a result of leaders had been angered by no less than one vote that he forged. And whereas it’s not unusual for unions to criticize or threaten Democrats who stray from their agenda, Senate Democrats stated that spending such a big quantity to assist elect a Republican was a step too far.
“Instead of spending time, effort and energy helping Democrats win congressional races, they supported a supporter of Donald Trump,” Sen. President Professional Tem Mike McGuire informed CalMatters. “They supported a pro-Trump Republican who is anti worker… It’s unconscionable what they did in Orange County, because they helped drive Republican turnout.”
It’s extraordinary for any distinguished California Democrat to criticize a labor union so harshly in a state the place Democrats depend organized labor amongst their closest and well-funded allies. However with votes nonetheless being counted, McGuire may lose a member of his Senate Democratic caucus.
On Tuesday, Newman was trailing Steven Choia former Republican Assemblymember and Irvine mayor, by about 9,400 votes with about 126,000 ballots left to course of in Orange County.
The union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers Native 3299was livid at Newman for becoming a member of a gaggle of Senate Democrats in killing a invoice final yr that the union sponsored, in keeping with Newman and his Senate colleagues. The invoice sought to enshrine the rights of employees on the College of California within the state structure.
A spokesperson for the union and its lobbyist, Richie Ross, couldn’t be reached for remark. The union, representing 30,000 employees at 10 UC campuses in addition to medical facilities, clinics and analysis laboratories, is planning a two-day strike for subsequent week, the most recent in a longstanding labor battle that was mirrored within the employee rights points raised within the invoice.
Newman is the one certainly one of three Senate Democrats who helped kill the invoice and is operating for reelection this yr, so he took the total brunt of the union’s wrath.
Within the March main, the union spent $305,311 backing 5 Democratic candidates towards Newman. The union additionally spent $893,652 on TV adverts, marketing campaign fliers and different detrimental promoting opposing Newman within the weeks earlier than the final election. In complete, AFSCME 3299 spent no less than $1.2 million opposing Newman within the main and basic elections this yr, in keeping with marketing campaign finance experiences.
Newman referred to as the union’s marketing campaign spending “a disservice to their members and to the labor movement.”
Newman additionally infuriated a special AFSCME native union this yr for sponsoring a playing invoice its members opposed. That native’s members staged protests outdoors Newman’s workplace, but it surely didn’t report spending any cash within the race.
It was a exceptional quantity of political blowback towards a usually union-friendly Democrat from associates of 1 the state’s strongest unions. AFSCME is without doubt one of the state’s largest political spenders. Since 2015, the union and its locals have given $8.35 million to California candidates, most of them Democrats, in keeping with the Digital Democracy database.
However AFSCME’s techniques could backfire if the union supposed to intimidate the Democrats who management the Legislature into at all times doing its bidding.
Newman is well-liked amongst his Democratic colleagues, and they’re outraged that certainly one of their labor allies went after him so aggressively.
“Josh Newman is universally liked no matter if you’re a Democrat or Republican,” McGuire stated. “People love Josh Newman.”
Requested what he thinks will occur if AFSCME 3299 goes to Senate Democrats with its hand out this yr, outgoing Democratic Sen. Invoice Dodd of Napa replied: “I hope they bite it off.”
One other departing Democrat, Sen. Steve Glazer of Orinda, referred to as AFSCME’s techniques “political terrorism.”
A part of Democrats’ frustration is that Newman is an particularly weak candidate. Democrats have a slim three-point edge in voter registration within the district. In 2018, Newman was recalled from workplace with 58.1% of voters selecting to oust him. He regained his seat two years later with a slim 51.3% victory.
And it’s not as if Newman repeatedly sides towards the union in coverage disputes. Newman has aligned with AFSCME and its native unions with their positions on payments 96% of the time, in keeping with Digital Democracy.
Different unions stepped as much as assist Newman within the race, serving to him acquire a fundraising benefit over Choi of $6 million. Choi raised simply $856,000.
AFSCME didn’t give any cash on to Choi’s marketing campaign. As a substitute, the cash it spent to oppose Newman was directed to an impartial expenditure committee. Below state and federal election guidelines, organizations not affiliated with a candidate can spend limitless quantities of cash supporting or opposing candidates by way of ads and different techniques to attempt to sway voters so long as the actions are usually not coordinated with the candidate’s marketing campaign.
Be taught extra about legislators talked about on this story.
In extremely aggressive races, well-timed adverts will be the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” stated election analyst Paul Mitchell.
“Legitimately, those campaign expenditures can make the difference,” he stated.
Choi informed CalMatters that AFSCME’s detrimental adverts might need nudged no less than a number of voters towards him.
“I don’t know how effective those negative ads might have been against him,” Choi stated. “But… I’m sure that helped probably a little for me.”
Newman informed CalMatters that whether or not he wins or loses, he hoped Democrats would keep in mind AFSCME’s “scorched-earth tactics” when the union comes asking them for favors.
“I would hope that the Democratic caucus in both houses and leadership in both houses would take this fully into account when it comes to dealing with AFSCME 3299,” he stated.
Whereas crucial of the union, McGuire didn’t say he’d shoot down its legislative calls for.
“Legislation is considered on its policy and fiscal merits,” he stated. A spokesperson for Democratic Meeting Speaker Robert Rivas declined to remark.
Assemblymember Gregg Harta Santa Barbara Democrat, additionally stopped wanting saying whether or not the union’s techniques would issue into his selections, however he stated he’s definitely been being attentive to the assaults on Newman.
“It’s super hardball,” Hart stated. “And people get hurt in hardball.”
CalMatters knowledge reporter Jeremia Kimelman contributed to this story.
