Local unions are waging war against President Obama's proposed "Cadillac tax" on higher-cost health-care plans -- with one leader warning New York Democrats who approve the levy to watch out at the polls this year.Some nice words read off the TelePrompter are sure to do the trick. Until they look at their next pay stub and realize they've been had.
"The proposed tax is both terrible politics and bad policy, and it's going to seriously undermine good health-care coverage for literally tens of millions of middle-class workers," fumed Bob Master, legislative and political director for Communication Workers of America's Northeast chapter.
"We are working furiously to ensure that the New York House delegation stand strong on this," he added.
"On the political side, I can tell you -- and this is not a threat -- that union members and middle-class voters whose taxes go up because of their health care, or whose health care gets cut, are not going to turn out for Democrats in hotly contested elections.
"I think they just stay home."
Master pointedly mentioned the wave of anti-Democratic sentiment in upstate elections last year, as well as the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races.
Of the 25,000 Verizon workers in the state who belong to the CWA, at least 20,000 active and retired members "will be very heavily hit," Master said.
The Senate bill includes the "Cadillac tax" on plans that exceed $8,500 for individuals and $23,000 for families. Obama has said he favors the tax.
He has caught flak from Gov. Paterson, Mayor Bloomberg and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who say the Senate plan would saddle cities and states with higher Medicaid costs down the road.
Obama is set to meet with union officials Monday to try personally to assuage their worries.
How's that Hopenchange working out these days?
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