|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
During the Republican National Convention this week, the Republican Party sought to portray itself as the party of workers.
For the first time ever, the president of the Teamsters, Sean O’Brien, was invited to give a speech at the RNC. In his fifteen minute speech on Monday, O’Brien said the Teamsters want to “work with a bipartisan coalition, ready to accomplish something real for the American worker.”
That same day, Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon, became the third Republican member of Congress to cosponsor the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.
Described by the AFL-CIO as the “most significant worker empowerment legislation since the Great Depression,” the PRO Act would significantly reduce employers’ ability to stop workers from unionizing.
While Alabama’s unionization rate of 7.5 percent is below the national average, it remains the most unionized state in the deep South. But despite this fact and despite the pro-worker rhetoric at the RNC, Democratic Congresswoman Terri Sewell is still the only person representing Alabama in Washington to have sponsored the PRO Act.
Of course, to understand any member of Congress’ stance on any issue, you’ll need to look at more than whether or not they support any one bill (no matter how consequential).
Like other groups involved in political advocacy, many labor unions regularly put together “Congressional scorecards,” lists of proposed legislation that they think is important and how members of Congress voted on each bill.
Below are the most recent ratings for Alabama’s members of Congress from some of America’s largest organized labor groups.
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations: America’s largest labor federation, the AFL-CIO boasts more than 12.5 million members between its various affiliated unions.
- Sen. Katie Britt: 0% in 2023 / 0% lifetime score
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville: 0% in 2023 / 5% lifetime score
- Rep. Jerry Carl: 10% in 2023 / 2% lifetime score
- Rep. Barry Moore: 0% in 2023 / 0% lifetime score
- Rep. Mike Rogers: 10% in 2023 / 14% lifetime score
- Rep. Robert Aderholt: 0% in 2023 / 13% lifetime score
- Rep. Dale Strong: 10% in 2023 / 10% lifetime score
- Rep. Gary Palmer: 0% in 2023 / 7% lifetime score
- Rep. Terri Sewell: 100% in 2023 / 94% lifetime score
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees: AFSCME represents over 1.3 million local government employees across the country.
- Sen. Katie Britt: 0%
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville: 0%
- Rep. Jerry Carl: 10%
- Rep. Barry Moore: 0%
- Rep. Mike Rogers: 10%
- Rep. Robert Aderholt: 0%
- Rep. Dale Strong: 10%
- Rep. Gary Palmer: 0%
- Rep. Terri Sewell: 100%
Communications Workers of America: The CWA represents around 700,000 members in various industries, including AT&T employees and workers at the New Flyer plant in Anniston.
- Sen. Katie Britt: 0% in 2024 / 0% lifetime score
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville: 0% in 2024 / 0% lifetime score
- Rep. Jerry Carl: 0% in 2024 / 0% lifetime score
- Rep. Barry Moore: 0% in 2024 / 0% lifetime score
- Rep. Mike Rogers: 0% in 2024 / 0% lifetime score
- Rep. Robert Aderholt: 0% in 2024 / 5% lifetime score
- Rep. Dale Strong: 0% in 2024 / 0% lifetime score
- Rep. Gary Palmer: 0% in 2024 / 5% lifetime score
- Rep. Terri Sewell: 100% in 2024 / 100% lifetime score
National Education Association: With 3 million members, the NEA boasts about being “the nation’s largest professional employee organization” and has an active state affiliate in Alabama, the AEA.
- Sen. Katie Britt: F
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville: F
- Rep. Jerry Carl: F
- Rep. Barry Moore: F
- Rep. Mike Rogers: F
- Rep. Robert Aderholt: F
- Rep. Dale Strong: F
- Rep. Gary Palmer: F
- Rep. Terri Sewell: A
While Sewell is currently Alabama’s only representative in Congress to consistently receive passing grades from the nation’s labor unions, the Democratic nominee for Alabama’s 2nd District, Shomari Figures, may soon join her.
Figures doesn’t have a legislative track record to analyze, having entered Alabama politics after a decade working in Washington, but he did recently receive a $5,000 donation from a Teamsters PAC. His campaign website, though, fails to mention either labor unions or the PRO Act.
It is also possible, if not likely, that one of Alabama’s Republican members of Congress could take O’Brien’s speech to heart and become more amenable to pro-union legislation.
