richard trumka that grew up as a coal miner, his father died from black lung disease. he became a lawyer and head of the united mineworkers. millions of workers belong to member unions. he is not taking a strong position. he is on the record for being a much higher minimum wage, but they haven't put the tv ads on. they haven't focused on the white house. they just don't have the fortitude. they don't have the transforming leadership spirits. they are always making excuses on behalf of other people who are against what they are doing. i have never seen a worse seen in washington d.c. of the fetus and by people that should know better. the one reason is that they get reelected automatically, most of these democrats, as the republicans do, and these gerrymandered districts. tavis: the issue that is lost on me when it comes to unions, i share your concern that the unions have not been as aggressive were strong as they should be over the last few years. they have the argument that obama is better than the other side. long term, it seems to me that you damage yourself and to

and richard trumka talks about the 2012 political campaign. and washington journal is live with your phone calls. >> i do not envy the drowsy harmony of the republican party. they squelched the bait, we welcome it. they the nine differences. -- de de differencesny . we are united. the choices this year are not just between two and different personalities, or between the two political parties. they are between a two different visions of the future. to a fundamentally different ways of governing. their government of pessimism -- or hours of hope, confidence and growth. [applause] c-span has aired every minute of every major party convention since 1984. this year watch the national conventions live on c-span, starting august 27. >> this weekend on book tv -- i think we have this myth that is to the guys in a dorm room who cracked the code. and it all just falls into place. you do not see them all laying on the side of the road not having achieved success. >> and unintended consequences, a former bain capital partner with of the free-market econom

this is an hour. >> our guest todays are richard trumka, president of the afl-cio, and michael -- thegroup's political director. mr. trumka grew up in the pennsylvania coal field and followed his father, branch, and grandfather, into the mines. he worked is a way through penn state university and entered -- earned a law degree from villanova. he was elected president of the united mine worked. he brought the umwa into the afl-cio in 1995 he ran for the secretary treasurer of the afl-cio and became the youngest person to hold that position where he served for a years, mr. trumka was elected president of the afl-cio in september 2009. mr. -- an expert in sophisticated voter mobile mobilization models. before coming to the alf alf he was associate delv -- he managed congressional campaigns. now on to the process portion of our program. as always we're on the record here. please no live blogging or tweeting in sort, no filing while the breakfast is underway. no embargo when the session ends except c-span2 agreed to wait two hours before airing the tape of this breakfast. the goal of maint

and the top union guy, richard trumka beating up on grass roots union people. ten immigration customs enforcement agencies and members are suing the obama administration saying the amnesty policy makes them violate to uphold the law antrum ka says this about the lawsuit. these agents are working with some the anti-immigrant force ins the country and long showed division and destruction and these ten agents do have their own union behind them by the way. this is unusual to see trumka attacking another union. do you remember this? >> shovel ready was not as shovel ready as we expected. [laughter] >> that was president obama joking about the failure of the stimulus to create so-called shovel ready jobs. right next to him, ge's chief jeff immelt perhaps the president's biggest ally in the business world. or he was. is he still on the president's side? the full story about that one coming up new at 10. we do have more signs after slowdown in china, manufacturing hit a nine month low according to the latest survey from hsbc. joining the company now is asia economist

this is an hour. >> our guest today are richard trumka, president of the afl-cio o, and the group's political director. mr. rum ca grew up in the -- trumka grew up in the pennsylvania coal fields and followed his father, frank, and grandfather into the mines. he worked his way through penn state university and entered -- earned a law degree from villanova university. in 1982 at age 33, he was elected president of the united mine workers of america, the youngest in its history to hold that position. he served three terms as president and brought the umwa into the afl-cio. in 995 he ran to be secretary/treasurer of the afl-cio and became the youngest person to hold that position where he served for 15 years. mr. trumka was elected president of the afl-cio in september 2009. the afl-cio's political team since 1997, an expert in sophisticated voter mobilization models, he became deputy political director in 2005 and director in june of last year. before coming to the afl-cio, he was associate director of citizen action where he managed congressional, state and local campaigns. so much for biograp

at the national press club in washington, afl-cio president richard trumka, international brotherhood of electrical workers announced on july 12 the kickoff of the workers stand for america. once again, better known as the americans second bill of rights at the national campaign to refocus the american national priority on the needs of the struggling middle class demanding an economy that works for all, not just the top 1%. we will be asking both democrats and republicans to sign on as supporters. this is our way of asking those in leadership positions, are you with us? what we're saying here today is not new. what is new is how we propose to make the power structure in america pay attention to the needs of men and women whose labor dries this country. workers stand for america will feature a major rally on saturday august 11 in philadelphia. i booked my ticket last night. bringing together working people, union and nonunion, in a run up to democrat and republican national conventions to urge elected officials to stand with working families in support of a second bill of rights. promo

>> afl-cio president, richard trumka says the supreme court united decision extended voter to nonunion households for the first time. mr. trumka says the union has had a glover occurred in 400,000 volunteers. on a door-to-door after, not the tbs. he spoke at a breakfast hosted by the christian science monitor. this is an hour. >> our guest chair richard trumka, president of the afl-cio and michael pedrosa, the political adviser. the growth in the presidential call for them all at his father and grandfather into the minds. he worked his way to penn state university and earned a law degree from bilodeau of the university. in 1882, each 33 was elected president of the united mine workers of america coming at us to hold that position. he served three terms as president at the u.n. debut into afl-cio. in 1995, ran to be secretary of treasurer of the afl-cio and became the youngest person to hold the position where he served for 18 years. mr. trumka was elected president in september 2009. mr. pretorius or has been on the afl-cio is political team since 1997 come expert in sophisticated vote

richard trumka followed his father and grandfather into the mines.e worked his way through penn state university and earned a law degree. in 1982, he was elected president of the united mine workers of america, the young this tool that position. -- the young guest in its history to hold that position. he served three terms as president. in 1995, he ran for the secretary of treasury of the afl-cio and became the youngest person to hold that position, where he served for 15 years. he was elected president of the afl-cio september of 2009. in the political team has been around since 1997. he is an expert in voter mobilization models. he became director last year. before coming to the afl-cio, he was associate director of citizen action's where he managed congressional, state, and local campaigns. so much for biography, now on to the process portion. as always, we're on the record here. please, no live blogging our tweeting. no filing while the breakfast is under way. there is no embargo in the session in except that c-span has agreed to wait two hours b

in a july memo to members, afl-cio president richard trumka wrote this, quote, this year we will note making monetary contributions to the convention or the host committee. we won't be buying skyboxes, hosting events. in fact, union leaders spent millions to stage their own so-called, shadow convention in philadelphia this weekend. that event was apparently organized in response to the democratic party's announcement that the dnc convention in september would be held in north carolina. that is the least unionized state in the country. charlotte has zero unionized hotels. big labor reportedly isn't happy that the president is scheduled to accept his party's nomination, bank of america stadium built by nonunion labor. in philly the tone sounded less than solidly partisan. >> this election isn't about whether a candidate has a d or an r after his or her name. this isn't about building one political party or hurting another. it's about other vision for the future. >> reporter: union leaders say, don't read too much into the situation involving charlotte saying that unions simply have les

this event is about an hour to our guests are richard trumka president of the afl-cio and the group's political director. mr. trumka gerlach in the pennsylvania caulfield and followed his father and grandfather artilio into the mines and worked his way kitfield fer pence eight university and earned his law degree. in 1982, at age 33 he was elected president of the united mine workers of america, the youngest and its history to hold that position. he served three terms as president and brought into nwa into the afl-cio. in 1995 he ran to the secretary-treasurer of the afl-cio and became the dumbest person to hold that position where he served for 15 years. he was elected president of the afl-cio he's been on the afl-cio political scene since 1997. an expert in sophisticated mobilization models to become deputy political director in 2005 and director in june of last year he was as the director of citizens action where he managed commercial space and local campaign. as always we are on record here. please, no blogging were tweeting while the breakfast is underway. there is no embargo whe

at the national press club in washington, the afl-cio president richard trumka and the international brothers of electrical union president will pick up the workers and for america, once again, better known as the america's second bill of rights. a national campaign to refocus the national priorities on the needs of the struggling middle class, demanding an economy that works for all, not just the top 1%. we will be asking both democrats and republicans to sign on as supporters. this is our way of asking those in leadership positions, are you with us? what we are saying here today is not new. what is new is how we propose to make the power structure in america pay attention to the needs of men and women whose labor drives this country. a worker stands for america will feature a major rally on saturday, august 11, in philadelphia. i booked my ticket. bring to the working people, union and nonunion, in a run of two democrat and republican national conventions, to urge elected officials to stand with working families in support of a second bill of rights promoting individual freedom and

at the national press club in washington, the afl-cio president richard trumka and the international brothers of electrical union president will pick up the workers and for america, once again, better known as the america's second bill of rights. a national campaign to refocus the national priorities on the needs of the struggling middle class, demanding an economy that works for all, not just the top 1%. we will be asking both democrats and republicans to sign on as supporters. this is our way of asking those in leadership positions, are you with us? what we are saying here today is not new. what is new is how we propose to make the power structure in america pay attention to the needs of men and women whose labor drives this country. a worker stands for america will feature a major rally on saturday, august 11, in philadelphia. i booked my ticket. bring to the working people, union and nonunion, in a run of two democrat and republican national conventions, to urge elected officials to stand with working families in support of a second bill of rights promoting individual freedom and