Unions: Obama, Democrats to Blame if Jobs, Insurance Lost over Obamacare

Labor unions are frustrated with President Barack Obama over Obamacare, and leaders are indicating that their members will blame Obama and Democrats if Obamacare causes them to lose their health insurance or jobs. 

D. Taylor, the president of Unite Here which “represents about 250,000 workers at hotels, casinos, stadiums and the food service industry,” told The Hill that union members “will blame the people who passed that bill and did nothing to fix it.”

In particular, union members are concerned Obamacare will incentivize employers to cut back on hours or eliminate positions to comply with Obamacare requirements. In addition, union members believe that since the multi-employer “Taft-Hartley” heath plans are not eligible for tax subsidies, “employers may have the incentive to drop the plans and force workers onto the insurance exchanges.” The Hill notes it would be more costly for workers.

“We are disappointed that the non-profit health plans offered by unions have not been given the same consideration as the Catholic Church, big business and Capitol Hill staffers,” Taylor said. 

Obama will speak at the AFL-CIO convention next week as labor unions have been more vocal about their concerns before the Obamacare exchanges are set to open in October. 

According to The Hill, Unite Here, the UFCW, and the Teamsters have pressed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) while the Laborers’ International Union of North America wrote a letter to Obama asking for changes in the law. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) have also “said that without changes to the law, their members could lose their healthcare plans.”