Karen Hanretty, a television pundit and writer at The Hill’s Pundit Blog nailed Big Labor for spinning the cancellation of their New York Labor Day parade:
It’s official: The parade has been canceled. That’s right, Big Labor can’t seem to organize a parade for, of all things, Labor Day. Or if it did, no one would show up, save a handful of politicians eager to show solidarity — so reports the New York Daily News in its Aug. 16 edition:
“The parade usually draws a flock of politicians eager to be seen supporting labor in the news, but barely any spectators.”
The spin coming from unions over the cancelled New York parade is rich. “The labor movement is in better shape than we have been in years,” said United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. “[The parade] is not the most effective way to celebrate Labor Day.”
Uh, OK. Celebration. Parade. The two seem to go hand-in-glove to me.
I tend to think Bob Burgie, a sheet metal worker quoted in the article, was more honest when he said, “We used to march in it every year, but nobody showed up … Now the union makes going to it mandatory.’”
I suppose if card check ever passes into law, Big Labor will finally have an audience again for its parade — albeit a mandatory audience. Boy, that sounds fun.