Union Leader Trumka: Health Bill could Cause Repeat of 1994 in 2010

H/T America’s Blog, from Sam Stien at the Huffington Post:

“It could well be” a recipe for disaster in 2010, [AFL-CIO president Richard] Trumka told a group of reporters. “I just came back from southern California. I was in five or six places out there… it is amazing the number of people that come up to you unsolicited and say, ‘I’m really worried about this health care bill.’”

Asked if he thought union and non-union workers will stay at home if health care reform (as outlined by the Senate) is passed into law, Trumka replied: “That could very well happen. A bad bill could have that effect… an [election] where people sit home. It could suppress votes… Look at what happened in ‘94.”

Do you think the rank and file union members will ever forget that President Obama taxed their health plans?  Do you think that the rank and file union members will ever forget that their unions cut a deal with the Democrats to be taxed?

Here is what the AP is reporting:

“A bad bill could have that kind of effect – a place where people sit at home” – as happened in 1994, when Democrats lost 54 House seats and eight in the Senate, costing them control of Congress, Trumka told reporters.

“The head of the International Association of Firefighters, Harold A. Schaitberger, made similarly threatening remarks in a statement Monday. “The president’s support for the excise tax is a huge disappointment and cannot be ignored. If President Obama continues to support it and signs a bill that includes the excise tax on workers, we will hold him accountable,” said Schaitberger, who was not among the attendees at the White House meeting.”

A whole lot of strong words, but will they tell Members of Congress to vote NO?  Will they ultimately betray their union members by allowing them to be taxed?