Government, Local News
Labor council endorses Corbett for Cedar Rapids mayor
Posted on Oct 28, 2009 by David DeWitte.
Ron Corbett
The Hawkeye Labor Council endorsed Ron Corbett for Cedar Rapids mayor Tuesday.
Corbett was a seven-term Republican member of the Iowa House of Representatives. He served as speaker of the house from 1995 to 1999, when he resigned to become president of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. He more recently has served as vice president of CRST Inc., a large Cedar Rapids trucking company.
The council rarely endorses Republicans, but the council’s board liked what Corbett had to say about cooperating with labor and bringing jobs to Cedar Rapids, Hawkeye Labor Council President Jerry Nowadzky said.
“Whether Democrat or Republican, we need someone who’s going to get some jobs back here,” remarked Nowadzky, who didn’t vote on the endorsement because he does not live in Cedar Rapids.
Corbett is running against at-large Cedar Rapids City Council member Brian Fagan, an attorney, and P.T. Larson, an employee of ACT.
The Hawkeye Labor Council is the AFL-CIO umbrella organization for unions in the greater Cedar Rapids area. It previously announced endorsements for Cedar Rapids City Council.
cc1091
28. Oct, 2009
The Republican, and a member of a Chamber of Commerce is the choice of 'labor'? Yeah…tell me another.
Maybe this is an indication of why the Unions in Cedar Rapids are so incredibly out of sync with the operation of good business? The leadership is really working for the benefit of the company, not the union.
basketcase
28. Oct, 2009
Are you saying the Labor Council dislikes Republicans and members of the Chamber of Commerce?
cc1091
28. Oct, 2009
The ironic disconnect of a C of C member being supported by the Union is there for all to see. Certainly everyone wants businesses to thrive, but the Cof C does more to hold down small business than anyone knows. Especially when that small business may be in conflict with a large business that pays the CofC.
Of course, there is also a disconnect that a Union would support a Republican. But that is hopefully a more candidate to candidate dependent thing. Certainly Teddy Roosevelt was in favor of equal pay for equal work.
basketcase
28. Oct, 2009
Wouldn't the benefit to the union only happen if the company benefitted? If they company is losing money or going out of business, then how can the union continue to work?
cc1091
28. Oct, 2009
Sounds like you believe that the Union should be subservient to the company. Isn't that what the Chamber of Commerce wants you to believe?
basketcase
29. Oct, 2009
You have the opportunity to explain to me how union workers can benefit if the business doesn't benefit. I'm all ears.
Mindboggle
28. Oct, 2009
Union Members train in the trade and require continued education. When your wages go up, you can thank the Unions for pushing the bar to keep up with National standards. When was your last required continued education class? When was the last time you had a wage increase outside of your annual performance?
When was the last time your company sought out a plan that helps more than their pocket book and on a larger scale that of our community?
By the way, the Union is not a business it's a organization. The Union's duty is to do what the members want collectively and the Union does not benefit from it. The benefit of the Union is to ensure everyone benefits.
Maybe you should research what a Union does before you speak up. Maybe you should research Fagan before you vote….
cc1091
28. Oct, 2009
Many professions require continuing education. I do not deride what the Union is supposed to do.
I deride the idea that they would throw their support of a member of the Chamber of Commerce. If you can't see the incongruity in that action, then perhaps you need to educate yourself in just who the C of C supports and who the C of C attempts to keep down. Stop being a tool of the C of C and start supporting the Union.
cc1091
28. Oct, 2009
Is someone marginalizeing the purpose of the Union here? Just questioning how wise it is for the leadership of an organization whose purpose is to support labor, to turn and support someone who is a member of the Chamber. It seems very count er intuitive if you understand just how a small business are over looked by the Chamber while the concerns of a large business will always be supported.
MossyOak
28. Oct, 2009
There are a lot of reliable, highly qualified locally owned buisiness' within the Building Trade that are non-union. Why should the City discriminate against them? Ron this is Great news for the Teamsters though, as it should open the door for them at CRST …….Right?
cc1091
28. Oct, 2009
Your right. There would be winners with Mr Corbett. Some more so than most others I suspect.
Watcher444
29. Oct, 2009
I like Corbett because he isn't Fagan. I have already seen what Fagan will do which is next to nothing for Cedar Rapids.
But I am here to talk about the fallacy of unions. Unions have some mythical status as fighters for the common man. Unions stand against THE MAN. Like most American myths like the best education, healthcare, etc it is exactly that a myth.
We need unions because we can't trust the guy next to us. A union doesn't force the boss to do anything it forces the guy next to you who moans and gripes about conditions to actually stand up with you when you walk out and doesn't wimp out when crunch time comes.
It isn't about getting paid what you deserve. Its about getting paid what you can force the employer to pay and keeping other competent workers willing to do the same quality work at a more competitive price out of the market. But who really pays? The consumer. That's why everything costs what it does. People making $60 an hour to do work a monkey could do isn't fair labor its creating a middle class that everyone else has to pay for right along with the wealthy class they pay for.
So let's get off the moral bandwagon about unions. Its just another myth that most people aren't smart enough to figure out the logical fallacy of.
96Bravo
29. Oct, 2009
Well Brian you are heading into the home stretch this weekend, and like the old saying goes – Run like you are twenty points down………….
Because in this case it's probably true. PS Maybe it was not such a good idea to have the Flood Recovery Manager cross a union picket line/protest before his little publicity stunt & swim at the Ellis Pool.