Union Boss Rips Obamacare: 'We'll Be Damned if We're Going to Lose Our Health Insurance!'

A leading labor union boss delivered an impassioned rebuke of Obamacare at the AFL-CIO convention Thursday, telling attendees, “we’ll be damned if we’re going to lose our health insurance because of unintended consequences in the law!” 

Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) President Terry O’Sullivan said, “if the Affordable Care Act is not fixed, and it destroys the health and welfare funds that we have all fought for and stand for, then I believe it needs to be repealed. We don’t want it repealed. We want it fixed, fixed, fixed.” 

O’Sullivan added: “We can’t have the unintended consequences for the proud men and women that we represent to be collateral damage in the healthcare fight in this country.” 

Big Labor strongly backed Obamacare before its passage. Now unions say the law threatens to destroy union workers’ health insurance plans if changes are not made soon. 

Last week, the AFL-CIO passed a strongly-worded resolution blasting Obamacare despite the Obama Administration’s attempts to quell union opposition to aspects of the government healthcare overhaul.

O’Sullivan, borrowing from Vice President Joe Biden’s vulgar words whispered to President Barack Obama upon signing the bill, told the audience, “It’s going to be a big frickin’ deal if our members lose our health insurance!” 

Republicans say union members should not be granted special breaks for the Obamacare law they fought to see pass. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) introduced a bill Monday called the Union Bailout Prevention Act to stop the White House from granting unions Obamacare waivers or special taxpayer-funded premium tax subsidies.

“Despite championing ObamaCare’s passage in 2010, union leaders are now awaking to the ugly reality of ObamaCare that most Americans have predicted all along, including higher health care costs,” said Thune. “Now that the full consequences of the Democrats’ law are nearing, these same union leaders are seeking a special backroom deal from the White House.” 

Obamacare’s government healthcare exchanges open in 17 days.