Union Members Meet with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo

Representatives from the San Mateo County and South Bay Labor Council’s met with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo March 31 to discuss issues in the district.

Eshoo said it remains a challenge to pass good legislation in the House of Representatives because of the domination of the Tea Party faction within the Republican Party. She cited the effort to pass comprehensive immigration reform and noted that legislation would pass the full House but dissention within the Republican Party has prevented the Speaker from bringing it to a vote.

She said Democrats have been pushing really hard to extend unemployment insurance and trying to put pressure on Republicans to take a vote. Raising the minimum wage is also a major issue for Democrats in the House, as well as funding infrastructure improvements and job training. Eshoo said the Democrats are united around those key issues, and are trying to figure out how to advance them as Republicans continue to play politics and block anything that would move the country forward.

Union members and Rep. Eshoo discussed the impact of budget cuts and sequestration on federal workers locally, including at NASA. Eshoo pointed out that funding cuts through sequestration were on top of cuts that had already been made and hit across the board. She said the budget agreement for 2013-2014 was an improvement, but that cuts were not fully restored. She said sequestration language essentially restored what federal employees lost during the shutdown and sequestration, but contractors unfortunately not given that protection.

Eshoo said core issues in the upcoming elections for the Democrats are extending unemployment, raising the minimum wage, addressing the gap between rich and poor, and addressing job creation. She noted that Republicans are going to have a “tsunami of money” due to the Citizens United decision, which would put Democrats at a disadvantage.

SMCLC President Lamoin Werlein-Jaen asked Eshoo to help stop bad trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Eshoo said she had signed on to the letter opposing fast track for the trade deal, along with 100 other Congress members. She said pro-labor democrats have been working with several of the unions to turn the Administration in a direction that would make a trade agreement that labor could support.

SMCLC Community Services Director Rayna Lehman talked about Labor’s work helping enroll people in health care through the Affordable Care Act. She said there had been some successes, but there are still some problems with how the ACA impacts union Taft-Hartley plans. Eshoo said there have been 54 votes in Congress to repeal the ACA, and it would be difficult to get any positive improvements through the Republican-controlled House.

SM Building Trades Business Manager Bill Nack asked about bills that would fund infrastructure improvements and create jobs. Ms. Eshoo said Republicans don’t want to pass the bills because it will contribute to growth in the economy and diminish unemployment. She said the current climate in Congress is frustrating as Republicans block efforts to improve education, infrastructure, capital growth and research and development that could grow the economy. Eshoo said she supports high-speed rail and using it to electrify the Caltrain system.

Val Afanaseiv of Communication Workers of America said the CWA supports affordable broadband and Internet access for all, but the FCC’ is reluctant to mandate that companies provide that service. Eshoo, a Ranking Member on the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, said the current FCC chair is better than last one and supportive of expanding broadband access.

SMCLC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Shelley Kessler spoke about problems with airline industry mergers, including flight attendants furloughed by United Airlines. She said the airline is also requiring workers to get required airport security badges on their own time rather than on company time. Eshoo asked to be given more information and documentation on the specific issues in order to follow up.