Created by Congress as part of FDR's 'New Deal' push in the 1930's, unions simply don't understand why the Obama administration proposes to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Mar 11, 2014
Tucked away in President Obama's 2014 budget proposal released early last week, say union critics, is a renewed proposal by the administration to destroy one of the last remaining success stories that resulted from Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "New Deal" more than 80 years ago.
According to reporting by The Hill on Tuesday, Obama's inclusion of a previously floated plan to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority--created by FDR and Congress in 1933--have put unionized workers employed by the TVA on the "attack" against an idea they say will cost them their jobs and destroy a federal entity that has fulfilled its mission in every way.
From The Hill:
The president first announced the proposal in last year's budget plan, saying the administration "intends to undertake a strategic review of options for addressing the TVA's financial situation, including the possible divestiture of the TVA, in part or as a whole."
In this year's budget, the administration said it "continues to believe that reducing or eliminating the federal government's role in programs such as the TVA, which have achieved their original objectives, can help mitigate risk to taxpayers."
That language was included over the strenuous objections of labor unions, which approved a resolution at the AFL-CIO convention in September urging Washington to reject all efforts to privatize the TVA.
Along with the engineers, the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are all worried their members' jobs could be at risk if the TVA goes private.
"That's always a worry, whenever there's a transition like this," said Jim Spellane, an IBEW spokesman. "The first place they will look to take the costs out on is the backs of the workers."
The TVA was created by the federal government and remains the nation's largest federally administered regional planning corporation. Even as it provides electricity for 9 million people in seven southeastern states, the non-profit TVA does so without taxpayer subsidy and at prices below the national average.
Despite very real failures of the TVA--like its mismanagement of coal ash ponds that have repeatedly been criticized and led to a massive spill in 2008--in terms of proving its viability and efficiency as a public energy and economic development corporation it has fulfilled its mandate to improve services for and the economic livelihoods of those living within its reach.
As Greg Junemann, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), told The Hill, the idea that it should be privatized is not only counter-productive, but defies logic.
"Right now, the Tennessee Valley Authority now provides the most reliable, low-cost source of energy across the South," said Junemann. "There's no reason to do this, unless it's forming some sort of political partnership that no one can quite figure out."
__________________________________________
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Tucked away in President Obama's 2014 budget proposal released early last week, say union critics, is a renewed proposal by the administration to destroy one of the last remaining success stories that resulted from Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "New Deal" more than 80 years ago.
According to reporting by The Hill on Tuesday, Obama's inclusion of a previously floated plan to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority--created by FDR and Congress in 1933--have put unionized workers employed by the TVA on the "attack" against an idea they say will cost them their jobs and destroy a federal entity that has fulfilled its mission in every way.
From The Hill:
The president first announced the proposal in last year's budget plan, saying the administration "intends to undertake a strategic review of options for addressing the TVA's financial situation, including the possible divestiture of the TVA, in part or as a whole."
In this year's budget, the administration said it "continues to believe that reducing or eliminating the federal government's role in programs such as the TVA, which have achieved their original objectives, can help mitigate risk to taxpayers."
That language was included over the strenuous objections of labor unions, which approved a resolution at the AFL-CIO convention in September urging Washington to reject all efforts to privatize the TVA.
Along with the engineers, the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are all worried their members' jobs could be at risk if the TVA goes private.
"That's always a worry, whenever there's a transition like this," said Jim Spellane, an IBEW spokesman. "The first place they will look to take the costs out on is the backs of the workers."
The TVA was created by the federal government and remains the nation's largest federally administered regional planning corporation. Even as it provides electricity for 9 million people in seven southeastern states, the non-profit TVA does so without taxpayer subsidy and at prices below the national average.
Despite very real failures of the TVA--like its mismanagement of coal ash ponds that have repeatedly been criticized and led to a massive spill in 2008--in terms of proving its viability and efficiency as a public energy and economic development corporation it has fulfilled its mandate to improve services for and the economic livelihoods of those living within its reach.
As Greg Junemann, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), told The Hill, the idea that it should be privatized is not only counter-productive, but defies logic.
"Right now, the Tennessee Valley Authority now provides the most reliable, low-cost source of energy across the South," said Junemann. "There's no reason to do this, unless it's forming some sort of political partnership that no one can quite figure out."
__________________________________________
Tucked away in President Obama's 2014 budget proposal released early last week, say union critics, is a renewed proposal by the administration to destroy one of the last remaining success stories that resulted from Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "New Deal" more than 80 years ago.
According to reporting by The Hill on Tuesday, Obama's inclusion of a previously floated plan to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority--created by FDR and Congress in 1933--have put unionized workers employed by the TVA on the "attack" against an idea they say will cost them their jobs and destroy a federal entity that has fulfilled its mission in every way.
From The Hill:
The president first announced the proposal in last year's budget plan, saying the administration "intends to undertake a strategic review of options for addressing the TVA's financial situation, including the possible divestiture of the TVA, in part or as a whole."
In this year's budget, the administration said it "continues to believe that reducing or eliminating the federal government's role in programs such as the TVA, which have achieved their original objectives, can help mitigate risk to taxpayers."
That language was included over the strenuous objections of labor unions, which approved a resolution at the AFL-CIO convention in September urging Washington to reject all efforts to privatize the TVA.
Along with the engineers, the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are all worried their members' jobs could be at risk if the TVA goes private.
"That's always a worry, whenever there's a transition like this," said Jim Spellane, an IBEW spokesman. "The first place they will look to take the costs out on is the backs of the workers."
The TVA was created by the federal government and remains the nation's largest federally administered regional planning corporation. Even as it provides electricity for 9 million people in seven southeastern states, the non-profit TVA does so without taxpayer subsidy and at prices below the national average.
Despite very real failures of the TVA--like its mismanagement of coal ash ponds that have repeatedly been criticized and led to a massive spill in 2008--in terms of proving its viability and efficiency as a public energy and economic development corporation it has fulfilled its mandate to improve services for and the economic livelihoods of those living within its reach.
As Greg Junemann, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), told The Hill, the idea that it should be privatized is not only counter-productive, but defies logic.
"Right now, the Tennessee Valley Authority now provides the most reliable, low-cost source of energy across the South," said Junemann. "There's no reason to do this, unless it's forming some sort of political partnership that no one can quite figure out."
__________________________________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.