Posts tagged Ken Martin
‘With you or without you’ – The growing rift between unions and Democrats
June 21, 2025 // O’Brien said that, during a meeting he had in the summer of 2024 with unnamed Democratic senators and three other major union leaders, he opposed bringing up the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act for a Senate vote ahead of the election. This was despite the PRO Act being a wish list of union priorities. O’Brien assumed that a vote at that time would have been an act of political theater, not a serious bid to get the legislation through the Senate. That would have suited Democrats, who could claim that they voted in support of unions, without actually benefiting them. “They wanted to introduce the PRO Act, and I’m like, ‘It’s never gonna pass,’” O’Brien told Walsh. “I had a sidebar with these three other general (union) presidents and I said, ‘They’re using this as an issue to weaponize it.’” O’Brien said that the “weaponization” of the legislation made it politically toxic and therefore impossible to get enough bipartisan support.
Commentary: The Flight of the Unions from the DNC
June 18, 2025 // Only a few short months ago, Weingarten and Saunders both enjoyed plum speaking spots on the stage at the Democratic Party’s presidential nominating convention. There, along with ridiculous figures like the National Education Association’s Becky Pringle, these labor officials presented a united front against Donald Trump’s GOP. Today, they are defenestrated — either by their own hands or Martin’s. Why?
Democratic drama: Union leader exits underscore DNC divisions
June 17, 2025 // “It was very clear to me that they were looking to blow up the DNC,” the source said. “[Martin] is not looking to blow the place up.” The two unions represent significant Democratic constituencies. The American Federation of Teachers boasts more than 1.8 million members, while the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has more than 1.3 million members. The groups and their leaders are also expected to continue to play major roles in the Democratic ecosystem. Some Democrats note Weingarten’s and Saunders’s departures come after Republicans made inroads with some union constituencies in 2024. “Although Republicans are not sweeping unions, Republicans are starting to be viewed by union members as the party of the people who have to take a shower after work or, in this case, the people who have to take an Excedrin after work,” Wilson said.
Public sector union head steps down from DNC
June 17, 2025 // The union led by Saunders represents more than 1.3 million public sector employees and retirees. Saunders’ letter comes as news surfaced that the American Federation of Teachers Union President Randi Weingarten informed Martin of her decision to step down from her post in a letter dated June 5. Saunders and Weingarten both endorsed former Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler in his race against Martin for DNC chair. Like Weingarten, Saunders was removed from the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee by Martin.
Teachers union president Randi Weingarten resigns from DNC
June 16, 2025 // American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, a longtime powerhouse member of the Democratic National Committee, is leaving the DNC, according to a letter obtained by POLITICO. Weingarten, who has been a member of the DNC for 23 years, wrote to DNC Chair Ken Martin that she had fundamental disagreements with him.