Bauters' Audacious Labor Day Message
Mayor Welch Joins the Prevaricating & Pontificating Prose
Opinion
Happy Labor Day, Emeryville community! It’s a nice thought that people can wish happiness for the community on this day we honor labor but like nearly everything else in post Trump America, even this has been co-opted and wrapped up in a lie by politicians seeking personal gain at the expense of the community. Even here in Emeryville.
Take the audaciousness of Council member John Bauters in his social media blitz today as he campaigns for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors race. It’s shocking but not surprising that Council member Bauters is going around telling potential voters in the county, he supports labor. It’s a deceitful re-write of his record.
People who have lived in Emeryville for more than a few years remember how Council member Bauters led a drive to drive down the wages of the poorest working people in Emeryville when as mayor, he rolled back Emeryville’s landmark and progressive Minimum Wage Ordinance. Actual low paid workers struggling to make it on minimum wage were going to have their wages cut if Bauters had been successful. Luckily, the Alameda Labor Coalition fought back and by a massive last minute resident signature drive, forced Bauters to back down.
It’s true that Mr Bauters has gotten the endorsement of police and fire fighter’s associations (some call them “unions”). But those associations are not real unions. You can tell because police officers and fire fighters NEVER walk fellow union members’ union picket lines like all union members are supposed to do. Remember, the word is UNION. The Carpenter’s Union did endorse Bauters but that’s because his public policy works for large development corporations. The Carpenters' are making a bad calculation that by breaking with their union brothers and sisters, they will get rewards from all the new development Bauters says he will bring. Splitting unions like this is part of the anti-union corporate playbook it should be noted.
John Bauters and his protege, the corporatist Democrat Courtney Welch (who is now Mayor and who said she “supports Bauters 100%”) are using Labor Day to convince voters Bauters’ record on labor is not his record. It’s Trumpian in its shamelessness and dark, calculating disposition.
We know you and we remember, John. You are lying when you tell voters who don’t know you that you will “fight to protect workers’ rights, fair wages and safe working conditions”. We hate this kind of cynical politicizing and hoodwinking. The truth will be told about your record and Alameda County voters will know you don’t value labor if we have anything to say about it. You can say what you will about other things you have fought for, like LGBTQ+ rights. We won’t take that away from you, John. But we will intervene when you lie about your record on labor rights.
Happy REAL Labor Day, Emeryville.
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| Say what you will about Councilman Bauters, but 'willing to fight for fair wages' is an outright lie. Many politicians lie, of course. We're not so deluded to think otherwise but when we see a brazen lie like this, especially by an elected official, we report it here at the Tattler. |
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This is not a politician trying to put a positive spin on something they are exposed on. This is just a lie. |
