[Hamish McBagpipe]

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Big labor has always fundamentally disrespected its own membership. They take their money and use it to promote liberal causes and liberal political candidates against the will of most of their members.

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The unions remaining within the AFL-CIO are from traditional manufacturing and newer public service sectors. The manufacturing unions, and their members, WANT political lobbying in an attempt to protect jobs against free trade flight. The public service unions, and their members, WANT political lobbying to maintain state level collective bargaining arrangements which have recently taken a beating. The breakaway group mainly represent private service sector workers who have expressed less interest in these activities.

Be careful to distinguish the difference between this kind of sector specific lobbying and political support given by unions to the Democratic party and its full slate of causes. Millions of union members voted for Republicans in the last elections and of course resent having dues spent on Democratic issues. However, to call unions a "special-interest" group would be incorrect. The support of unions has been the bedrock of the Democratic party that allowed some of the more debatable liberal causes to evolve. Without as much union support the Democrats begin to resemble themselves a collection of fringe special-interest groups.