Wednesday, March 23, 2016

John Gregg Turns Back On Labor

Prevailing wage and right to work may be hot button issues with organized labor, but they are not issues Democrat John Gregg plans to take up if he succeeds in defeating Gov. Mike Pence this year. He won't try to repeal right to work or reinstate the prevailing wage law. The Indianapolis Star says Gregg made those comments to the newspaper's editors during an interview last week. That comes as a surprise to his union backers since they are his largest campaign contributors.
“I’m a realist,” Gregg said. “I’m going to have a (Republican) supermajority in both chambers. The right-to-work issue — that was settled two years ago. There is absolutely no way that is going to be repealed.”
When asked if the common wage issue would be on the table if he was elected, he said, “No, none of that stuff is with the numbers we’ve got.”
Those comments came as a surprise to some of the union leaders who are helping to bankroll Gregg’s campaign.
“To be honest with you, I’m a little shocked,” said David Frye, business manager for the Indiana Laborers District Council. His organization spent more than $370,000 on TV ads to combat the common wage repeal effort last year and, along with its affiliates, has contributed more than $450,000 to Gregg’s campaign.
It sounds like Gregg is taking his labor vote for granted and is speaking more to the chamber of commerce folks. Is it a winning strategy?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

No. The Chamber is tarnished...damaged goods...suffering deflation. Actually, there are more union workers in Indiana now that there were prior to the passage of RTW and the unions have to know it. The reason is that the Republicans have taken needed steps to improve the business climate of Indiana and it is resulting in more jobs in Indiana. There would really be no point in reversing that trend so that union hogs could steal public tax dollars-it is better for them to grow their ranks organically and provide a service increasingly not essential.

Anonymous said...

The Chamber of Commerce has become as Progressive as any Democratic candidate. The Chamber supports illegal immigration and free trade. The Chamber will probably support John Gregg.

Flogger said...

No surprise here. Ever since Bill Clinton was President the Democratic Party has shifted over to Wall Street, the Chamber of Commerce, and the very wealthy. Bill Clinton betrayed the working class when he helped pass NAFTA. The Clinton's ran into a speed bump with Obama, but they spent the last few years reassuring Wall Street the 1% and collecting big speaking fees in the bargain the Working Class of America and Unions would be sold out. John Gregg is simply, a Clinton Franchise.

Given all the information out there on Hillary's campaign donations, speaking fees, and who is funding her PAC and shifting positions on the Keystone Pipeline, TPP, etc., how could anyone possibly believe her?? Yet we have a large segment of the Democratic Party who it appears cannot think for themselves and blindly vote for her. "O tempora o mores"

Anonymous said...

Not a good strategy at all. It is just like the Democratic Party and its politicians to take its base for granted.

Anonymous said...

Good for John Gregg -- the labor movement is (and has been) fading for decades now -- they won a lot of battles on behalf of their membership over the years and are now paying the price for those successes -- i.e. Carrier and other manufacturers moving to Mexico, China, etc....where the wages are $19 a day compared to $20+ an HOUR here in the states. Gregg will still be more sympathetic to the labor cause than empty suit Mike Dense. My sense of all of this, is that Gregg is moving to center, trying to pick up Independent and suburban voters, who understand world economics, labor markets, and who realize the reality of today's world.... union members should support him in a heartbeat...

Pete Boggs said...

It's now the Shamer of Commerce, Chamber of Statism or Communism; free market, unmolested capitalism doesn't work for them.

Anonymous said...

does this now make you believe that the democrats will now through all their support to Mike Pence's relection?

Keep sucking up for Pence AI.

LamLawIndy said...

Even a broken clock is right 2x a day. Maybe Gregg realized that REQUIRING membership in an organization solely for the purpose of plying one's trade is grossly immoral.

Anonymous said...

Gregg is a pragmatist and wants to win. He knows independents are angry at Pence. Hell. My own mother, who never voted for a Democrat in her life, said she'll never vote for Pence. What could Gregg possibly have to gain by beating the dead horse that is Right to Work. Its now settled Indiana law. Gregg can't magically get rid of the Republican Supermajority in the Statehouse. So he'll have to squeak out a victory on thin margin and that means attracting voters who can't stomach Pence. Gregg lost by only 3% the last time he squared off against Pence, and that time Pence was strong and popular. Now Pence is bloodied and tarnished. The State's reputation took a hit in the national press. And people with gay friends, children and co-workers re-classified Pence as a bigot, a hater, a guy who thinks its ok to discriminate against gay people. That it may hurt him in the next election. Unions will vote D anyway, for lots of reasons, and unions may join big business in defeating Pence, who really only cares about Christian issues. Be honest. He should be a preacher, not a governor.

Anonymous said...

I also think Gregg is a centrist who will work with Republicans and that his disdain for revisiting RTW shows his acceptance of that reality. Perhaps Republicans can find things to like about Gregg. He is very popular with the media. He might project a more friendly image of Indiana. I suspect corporate interests will be drawn to him because younger people like him. The evangelical Christian thing Mike P. is pushing is just scary.

Anonymous said...

Question for everyone -- has Pete Boggs ever posted an entry without using the word statism or statist....talk about an obsession? Pete, is there any cure for this malady?

Anonymous said...


So, Greg is a pragmatist and that is how the commenters on this page 'splain away his "No I can't" weakness.

My question for Greg and the multitude in our Indiana LGBT community...IS GREG GOING TO NEGLECT RFRA BECAUSE HE WILL HAVE A SUPER-MAJORITY OF "R's" IN THE LEGISLATURE???

Wonder how the liberal left Democrat pro-gays will take to voting for a guy who is more "pragmatist" than supportive of labor or lbgt?

PS PENCE MUST GO!

Anonymous said...

This is really pretty simple. The simple truth is that organized labor is toothless, an empty shell. They have reigned over the absolute gutting of Midwestern manufacturing. They point to the companies and executives but they are complicit. Management lives because management had the cards. Everybody who was paying attention knew that management had the cards. When you have the weak hand, you have to play it smart to win the game. Organized labor is too arrogant and full of itself to play it smart. Greg understands this. There's absolutely no risk in staking out this position and everything to gain. That said, Pence will still beat him like a drum.