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‘Joe’ the ‘Plumber’ Campaigns Against Employee Free Choice, Hasn’t Read Bill |
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This seems like it should be an April Fool’s joke, but it’s not: Samuel “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher, who’s on a tour of Pennsylvania as a spokesman against the Employee Free Choice Act, apparently took the job without even knowing what it is he opposes.
So, let’s sum up: corporate front group “Americans for Prosperity” (AFP) has hired “Joe the Plumber” to be the face of their anti-Employee Free Choice Act campaign, which would be great, except that not only is he neither a licensed plumber nor named “Joe,” he doesn’t even particularly know what he’s advocating against. And after two days of being confronted by real plumbers, Wurzelbacher ran away from Pennsylvania, leaving his tour unfinished.
Michael Morrill, a blogger from Keystone Progress, catches Wurzelbacher on video admitting that “I don’t know a lot” about existing labor law and how the Employee Free Choice Act would change it. He dodges questions about the Employee Free Choice Act, showing that he’s not familiar with the bill or the issues involved.
When Wurzelbacher went to Pittsburgh, he was confronted by more than 100 union members, and by the time he arrived in Harrisburg, more than 200 union members came out to protest his appearance and show their support for the Employee Free Choice Act. He admitted to these union workers he hadn’t read the bill. Frank Snyder of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO reports that Wurzelbacher ended his tour and left the state without even showing up for his last scheduled appearance.
Let’s clarify this for him, shall we? The Employee Free Choice Act is designed to restore workers’ basic freedom to form unions. It allows both of the options that are currently legal under the National Labor Relations Act—majority sign-up and an extended election period—and lets workers, rather than corporations, pick which method they use to form a union. It protects workers from management intimidation and harassment by creating real penalties for unfair practices and illegal firings. And it guarantees that when workers choose to bargain, they can reach a first contract.
The 300,000 members of the Plumbers and Pipe Fitters (UA) union have a different opinion than Wurzelbacher on the Employee Free Choice Act, possibly because they understand existing labor law and how it infringes on the critical freedom to form a union and bargain for a better life. Real plumbers are rallying in support of the freedom to form unions and against the corporate disinformation campaign. Rick Terven, the legislative director of UA, had this to say about Wurzelbacher’s tour:
Joe the plumber is selling out real plumbers. Right now, labor law is stacked against real plumbers. Real plumbers want and need the Employee Free Choice Act as a way to empower themselves to join a union, without fear of intimidation or losing their jobs. Joe the Plumber doesn’t speak for real plumbers.
AFP, an oil industry front, is hoping to trick the press and elected officials into thinking that there’s a grassroots movement against the Employee Free Choice Act, but working people are too smart to be taken in by such a laughably transparent ruse. Sorry, Mr. The Plumber, but nobody’s buying what you’re selling.
8 Comments
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Isn’t it about time to stop granting this fool the title “the Plumber” and start calling him something like “the Fake Plumber” or the “the Sold-Out Anti-Plumber?”
Quit giving this guy the time of day, by writing about him. He has no influence on anybody and is seeking the attention for $$ gain. He should join the Octo-mom.
Maybe Senator Dianne Feinstein will hire him now to be her spokesman. She apparently knows as little about EFCA, unions, and real work as Wurzelbacher. After all, she now opposes EFCA, and is a fake who uses a labor friendly image to keep the labor folks in line within the Democrat party. Surely Feinstein has room in her San Francisco mansion to set up an office for Wurzelbacher; or he could o some side jobs for her war profiteer contractor husband.
He represents plumbers like I represent CEOs. Time for a more fitting sobriquet. How about Joe the Tool.
Don’t be too hard on Joe. After all, he’s just following the example set by our ‘friends’ in Congress. For the most part they don’t bother reading the bills they sign off on either.
Its time to be as hard on Joe ” the so called plumber ” as we should be on the anti worker Republican agenda that is out to destroy the Middle Class with bogus brainwashing lies and tactic the EFCA would straighten out.
Joe ” the so called plumber ” who allegedly didn’t pay his fair share of taxes is about as knowledgable about things as Shelby is with his anti union references for which I have called him out on to debate.
Joe the Fake Plumber has never been playing with a full deck. He is paying paid by someone who wants to discredit legitimate unions, obviously. We need to be aware of this sort of activity so we can fight against it.
Love that Joe the Plumber. Hope he continues to be the voice of anti-union activities and other “anti-progressive” measures. Sometimes the rightwing folks know how to pick ‘em.
Joe needs find a real job, like in a steelmill or auto-assembly plant. Oops, folks like him would not last probationary period even if those jobs were hiring.
Same could be said for many of those “opposing” EFCA. Could you see Sarah P on an assembly line or some of those Republican senators in a steelmill?