Bush or Nader! Who is Gore?
June 2000

As things appeared to be looking better for Gore for the upcoming November elections, part of one of the Democrats strongest allies has slugged Gore back into his corner again.

Teamsters President James Hoffa Jr. announced June 1, 2000, that the truckers union is "reassessing" who its friends are among elected officials. Basically Hoffa gave the impression that Gore is in trouble with the Teamsters union. "Maybe we won't make an endorsement at all, that's a possibility. And there's a possibility we'll endorse somebody, but we're just not in a position to make that announcement now," Hoffa told reporters at the National Press Club.

Hoffa even said that the union's leadership was planning to meet with both Ralph Nader and George W. Bush later in the month.

Although it may seem like a devastating blow to Gore, when one looks at the Teamsters' history, reality starts to set it. The Teamsters have not always followed the normal union "voting guides," or as Hoffa called "the labor herd mentality." The Teamsters union backed Republicans Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush's father, though it supported Bill Clinton in 1992 and declined to issue an endorsement in 1996. But other unions are showing their displeasure with Gore also. Stephen Yokich, head of the powerful United Auto Workers union, a traditional Democratic union , made it clear after the PNTR vote that Vice President Al Gore may have a tough time mobilizing rank and file industrial union members. "One moment, presidential candidate Gore is telling the labor movement that he believes human rights, workers' rights, and environmental protections should be included in core trade agreements," Yokich said in a statement. "The next, Vice President Gore is holding hands with the profiteers of the world and singing the praises of the U.S.-China WTO accession agreement while lobbying for PNTR for China." Yokich went on to say that their union is looking at Ralph Nader, "It's time to forget about party labels and instead focus on supporting candidates . . . who will take a stand based on what is right, not what big money dictates."

But not all is lost for the Democrats. And believe it or not, this may be a terrible sign for Republicans. The AFL-CIO, the nation's largest union umbrella organization, endorsed Gore early on in the Presidential race. And since the Republicans backed the PNTR more so than Democrats, it is doubtful that many of the other unions will turn their support in the Republican direction.

The issue of "free trade" has been an issue that both Conservatives and Union members have had in common for some time now. It is ironic that neither Republican or Democratic leaders will come to the Conservative and Union side of the issue.