If staff was told that they would be paid through November then Bloomberg will make good on that promise. Bloomberg is not Trump and would NEVER in a million years renege on a promise or stiff an employee.
2
Can’t they file a class action lawsuit against Bloomberg?
Where are the lawyers on this?
2
I'm thrilled Bloomberg's campaign has gone bust but let's be fair here: his campaign staff were a bunch of sharks too:
He grossly overpaid staff to attract them to his late start.
Anybody who was attracted to Bloomie certainly wasn't in it because he was so charismatic.
Or because he was so articulate.
They were in it because he was a cash cow. They were going to milk him. Sadly for them, the teats have run dry.
2
Why is Bloomberg backing down? He has plenty of money. He says that he wants to defeat Trump. And Bloomberg promised. Now we know what kind of President he would have been.
3
Bloomberg is an excellent example of the neoliberal billionaire support for Joe Biden! What cabinet position will he receive in a Biden administration? How do you think he made his money and really, just really, is this guy a champion for working people? For the poor? For women's rights? For civil rights?
1
The Dems are such a healthy, reliable bunch. Level headed, forward thinking, not prone to flights of fantasy or recriminations. We are very lucky to have this diverse, intelligent, honest, god-fearing, feminist-leaning, selfless party challenging, always challenging those terrible terrible Repubs!! Thank God for the Democrat Party!
1
Not surprising to learn from the NYT that Bloomberg has shown his true Republican colors and is seeking to preserve his remaining billions by breaking financial promises he made to his campaign staff. After all, they are mere expendables.
While over the years Bloomberg has given hundreds of millions of dollars to charities and the state of Israel, this now seems less likely done out of true humanitarianism than to gain some political or social or financial advantage.
Billionaires don’t get rich by being nice; they succeed on the backs of the little people (i.e., pretty much everyone else except the elites and other billionaires).
Thank heaven the televised debates showed Bloomberg to be a black hole of charisma. And how about Elizabeth Warren, who had the moxie to confront and contradict him—probably the first person (and a woman to boot) to do so in decades.
Happily, Bloomberg will not have the opportunity to do to the US what he is doing to his campaign staff.
10
For all the Michael Bloomberg supporters it's time to remember one of his famous sayings: "Promise them everything and give them what you can."
7
This is really what to expect from any corporate neoliberal plutocrat club member. Working people are just little cogs in their power game and will be sold out in short order and as soon as possible. Cozying up to billionaires expecting them to share your middle class values of decency and fairness never gets you more than a nickel or two thrown out the limo window at your feet.
Card-carrying club member Joe Biden is playing a gullible, frightened electorate the same way. He even peppers his nearly incoherent and vacuous remarks with the word “progressive” just to really reel them in my the nostrils. Bloomberg also used the progressive slip of the tongue, sort of like he’d wear a loud rayon tie to a Mardi Gras party.
Just remember Biden’s mantra: “Nothing will fundamentally change.” And the people flocking to the polls are enthralled with his nothingness.
4
As they say down at the club, E Plutocratus Unum.
Just wait until Bloomberg gets a cabinet post in a Biden administration; then he can really show off the power of pulling the rug out from under workers.
3
So much for a billionaire's promise...
5
These NDAs are very disturbing. Why would you have an interaction with someone and have them sign an NDA about it? Sounds like you KNOW you are up to no good and are anticipating hiding behind an NDA. Reminds me of Trump with the NDAs he had his girlfriends sign. I'm no expert on NDAs but they don't seem to reflect the kind of integrity I admire. Or any integrity at all.
2
Surprise!
Mike Bloomberg changed his mind and therefore your employment agreement is null and void (read the fine print).
Note:
I have yet to meet an altruistic billionaire.
6
Steyer has a good record.
Ok, so which is it? Are they losing their jobs or are they losing them if they don’t relocate? Bite the bullet, folks.
1
Anyone who's ever gone to dinner with a very wealthy person knows that he/she will be the one to scrutinize the check down to the last penny and leave the smallest tip.
1
This was such a Trump-like thing to do.
3
Wow, a billionaire stiffs workers. In related news, oxygen deemed vital for human health.
6
In his autobiography that he co-wrote with Matt Winkler, every inch a sycophant as he was mean in his delusions of grandeur, Michael Bloomberg also promised not to fire any employee of his news company, the price of that being not to rehire anyone who voluntarily quit. Yet that did never prevent Bloomberg News from carrying out massive layoffs, esp. under the watch of Dan Doctoroff, Andy Lack (a surname that says it all), Peter Grauer, and others of the same ilk. And, mind you, this was being done by the company one of the wealthiest men in the planet and his lackeys. So yes, I would have voted for Bloomberg to rid the White House of Trump, but it would have been following the same logic that Churchill proclaimed when he went to war against the Third Reich.
1
odd that Bloomie would pinch pennies right now. he spent 500 million dollars. 500 million.
He could've made the lives of all Americans great again, by simply issuing a payment to each and every citizen—less than 500 million strong—a check for a million dollars each.
but now?
He's ready to start pinching pennies. ok then.
4
Lots of “they said” commentary. Who are they? Low level, unauthorized field soldiers or persons in authority? And were there employment contracts? Why has the reporter not referenced a contract? There is no comment on its existence, an obvious question and piece of supporting evidence. Yes there are NDAs, but speaking anonymously to the reporter is a violation of the NDA. Why not include a look at the contract whilst the NDA is ignored? Why not say no contracts support this story, or employees were unwilling to evidence their contracts? That would provide journalistic substantiation.
I did learn from the article that NDAs were common in campaigns. And having worked in campaigns, I’ve never seen a contract or considered that my fate was anything other than tied to the candidate’s fate.
It does beg the question, who are these paid campaign workers? What jobs did they give up to work in the campaign gig? What drives them? What are their post candidate, post election expectations? What is the reality of those expectations being fulfilled? What do they go back to when it’s over?
4
I am very tired of you all demonizing the rich. Mike Bloomberg does not need to fund the Democratic campaign regardless of the nominee, yet he is doing so. The attitudes expressed here are one of entitlement. He funds many philanthropic causes and you must feel entitled to those as well. Since when is “cheap” defined as an unwillingness to pay for something without a return on your investment. My only regret is that Bloomberg did not enter the race earlier and that he dropped out. By the way, I am not employed by Mike Bloomberg.
5
The basic rule has not changed: Get it in writing. If the employment agreement did not promise work through the campaign, counting on that was foolish. Nor, apparently, did Bloomberg make a public statement about keeping all workers on for the duration.
2
Bloomberg should put the people assets and money behind the Biden campaign. Especially if he wants a chance in the future.
These people are professionals and should know that what is written in their employment contracts is what they are officially and legally entitled to. Anything else, they should also know, is simply hopeful thinking. Just because some regional hiring rep expressed a commitment verbally does not mean that Bloomberg himself or his organization approved that contractually.
4
It is kind of a dirty trick but then exactly what do left-over Bloomberg staffers in Nebraska think they are going to do for the next six months in Nebraska.
It would be a drop in the bucket for Mike to simply pay them through election day, negating all the ill will.
2
Wow a billionaire breaking his promise! Unheard of! Also what’s with the UDC? Seems like Bloomberg loves his secrecy even in campaign work. Hey at least they got something better than a t-shirt!
The Bloomberg campaign’s backtracking on what were likely verbal promises is a perfect example of how our new gig economy fails workers while enriching the owners and high level managers calling the shots. So much for the Dems being more ‘caring’ than the Reps. They’ll smile to your face while stabbing you in the back.
3
No wonder he is a successful billionaire. He shares the same traits with Donald Trump.
1
In fairness to Mike. He didn't get what he paid for.
3
This is how modern capitalism works. The captain steers the ship into the rocks and then he fires the crew.
3
In my own state, Bloomberg rather cynically hired almost exclusively African-American campaign workers, even though those of us on the political front lines knew he would gain little traction with black voters in the state. Those folks were enthusiastic, energetic, and hopeful. Now, nothing. I am sorry for their waltz down Bloomie's primrose path.
1
Ah, I remember it like yesterday when Times readers were heralding Bloomberg as the ONLY option to beat Trump.
2
No surprise here. Exactly what would have been expected of Bloomberg. That’s about how he left NYC after his 3(over run) terms. If it serves him. Ok. If not. Go through the entrance door where you came from.
Always! always to his own benefits.
1
Oh please. Most every job comes with written employment terms. Copies of those terms are certainly available, why aren't they cited? Have to believe this is a case of workers with bad memories or a few over zealous campaign managers verbally promising something they shouldn't have.
Why even bring up NDA's if you cite that all campaigns have them?
2
There are some amazing comments about a man who got in the race because Biden was failing and dropped out because Biden was succeeding, gives away tremendous amounts of money rarely boasts about, improved a city though benefits varied with lower crime, healthier restaurants and healthier buildings in.a City like New York, which have health not insurance benefits to many and especially minorities. The city under attack and many people leaving brought the population to its highest ever. He presided over perhaps the best non Federal antiterrorist in the world recognizing the target on its back. Comparing him to Trump is only true because they have money(at least Bloomberg) and from NY. The morality, representation of the diverse population was an opportunity unmatched since FDR. Nobody else managed a population of 100,000 or anything. People need to take their blinders off to see ability and the ability to hire good people near him.
1
Why wait until you're president to break your promises to your supporters, when you can do it now?
80
Sounds like they'd need to move to a Swing State to keep their jobs.
That makes sense.
That's where they're most needed.
97
@Barbara T No, it sounds like Bloomberg lied to them all, and now if they want the opportunity to *apply* for a *new* job they’ll have to move for someone who just lied to them.
19
@Tim No it was made clear from the beginning if he did not win the primary, employees would be able to get jobs working in swing states.
15
@Barbara T It makes absolute sense to deploy resources where they would be most helpful. But this is not about facts, it is about feelings.
Times would rather grandstand than provide strategic analysis regarding purple/red states. They will woke themselves right into another Trump presidency.
13
Remember, this was the candidate that was slated to run away with the nomination only a few months ago.
God bless Elizabeth Warren. She may have saved us all.
188
@Matt She consistently received less than 15% of the vote and came in third in her own state--a humiliating, pathetic, and very clear message. We don't want her. Accept it.
12
@JT I think the point is that she turned people off to Bloomberg, not that she turned them on to herself, as she clearly didn't.
9
@JT You missed the point. Whether we wanted her or not, Warren may have saved us from Bloomberg.
9
While jettisoning staff is typical of losing campaigns, this is illustrative of how the wealthy work: promise the moon then renege the moment there is a real cash outlay necessary.
187
@Tortuga
Thanks to Bloomberg’s debate mauling by Elizabeth Warren, and the fact that he is demonstrably a black hole of charisma, he will be unable to do to the US what he is doing to his campaign staff.
2
@Tortuga
Not surprising to learn from the NYT that Bloomberg has shown his true Republican colors and is seeking to preserve his remaining billions by breaking financial promises he made to his campaign staff. After all, they are mere expendables.
While over the years Bloomberg has given hundreds of millions of dollars to charities and the state of Israel, this now seems less likely done out of true humanitarianism than to gain some political or social or financial advantage.
Billionaires don’t get rich by being nice; they succeed on the backs of the little people (i.e., pretty much everyone else except the elites and other billionaires).
Thank heaven the televised debates showed Bloomberg to be a black hole of charisma. And how about Elizabeth Warren, who had the moxie to confront and contradict him—probably the first person (and a woman to boot) to do so in decades.
Happily, Bloomberg will not have the opportunity to do to the US what he is doing to his campaign staff.
3
Gee, what a suprise. A NYC oligarch politician who doesn't keep his "commitments." Sound familiar?
2
Shocking. Simply shocking. Not.
There's an old saying "there's a sucker born every minute." There's another saying "if it's not in writing it's not real."
1
Who didn't know that Michael Bloomberg didn't become a $ 60 billionaire by being a humble humane empathetic community organizing civil human rights activist philanthropist?
3
I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that none of these folks quit after his first debate performance.
1
So, this is a man who was embroiled in a scandal of NDAs, who campaigned on helping out the working class, and fought the idea of being rich man who could just ignore the poor once elected. Now that the cameras aren't on him, he has decided to abandon his workers - despite his promise being a large part of the reason they came to his team. He has encased them in NDAs, clearly proving that he hasn't learned a thing about transparency.
I'm quite glad America saw through his act. If there is any doubt, take a look at what he does when the camera isn't on him.
2
Bloomberg reneged on his promise to his employees. Why am I not surprised? Perhaps because I knew of his records with the employees of the company he ran and the members of the NYC teachers' union. As with Trump, there were signs that he was promising much more than he would deliver. Now his campaign workers know too. We should all be glad that his campaign didn't get far.
Trump glorifies what he hasn’t done. Bloomberg understates it. He is in it to do good not to look good to people who only look on the surface. Very disappointing for people to see him as Trump, Elizabeth Warren and do many of my fellow Democrats.
There are expectations and there are contracts, and only contracts are enforceable.
1
Their expectations that Bloomberg would keep his promises were not reasonable.
2
What does the employment contract say? If they are owed moneys as per the contract, they will be paid. If not, they will not. If its not in writing, it didn't happen.
1
I’m profoundly disappointed. Especially in Sen Warren’s performance, but Mr Bloomberg’s too.
Sounds like they got spoiled by Mike's money. It may have been free-slowing, but it is, after all, Mike's money. Were they expecting to be paid to sit around until November?
3
I can see why in the current situation focusing the efforts on the battleground states is what takes precedence.
1
File a class-action lawsuit against Bloomberg for breach of contract.
Perhaps Mr. Bloomberg could continue to pay the volunteers to help get out the vote.
2
Bloomberg's advantage as a billionaire was that campaign finance laws allowed him to support his own candidacy. But under campaign finance laws, Bloomberg cannot pay workers to support Biden's campaign. I'm not sure what it meant when he "promised" to keep paying people until November, even if he dropped out. I suppose it could have meant that he was going to pay them for seven months for doing nothing. Anyone with a lick of common sense would have realized that they were only going to get paid for as long as Bloomberg was in the race.
2
Anyone who signs on with a political campaign and assumes for one minute that job security is part of the deal clearly doesn't know much about the world of politics.
4
As a NYC Public School teacher who worked under Bloomberg for years, I'm not at all surprised. Bloomberg is a fraud and is just another version of Trump with a bit (but only a bit) more control of the nonsense coming out of his mouth.
I will freely admit that when he was dealt a stinging primary defeat, myself and a lot of other NYC teachers got a great deal of pleasure from the moment. It certainly brought a smile to my face to see him publicly reproved by both Senator Warren and the voters of this country. He wrecked the NYC school system, crushed the city's poor, catered to the rich, and wanted to run the country based on that record.
And people here still love him. That's the kicker.
I'd also point these Bloomberg campaign staffers -- many of whom are apparently lawyers (but not very good ones it would seem) -- to the immortal words of Tom Waits:
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh ways."
And that's the very American ideal that Bloomberg embodies.
3
I wish I could get hold of the cardboard cutout of Mr. Bloomberg that is in the picture here.
It would look terrific on my front lawn and would scare Trump supporters away.
2
A hard lesson to learn, don't believe everything your promised, unless you have it in writing. And even then, it is no guarantee.
What? A billionaire who broke promises about the terms of employment? Or lied? Astonishing.
1
Well then - he's definitely lost my vote.
1
Michael needs to keep his promises and pay all these workers through the general election in november--he has billions---this will be pocket change. Where are all these staffers supposed to work now??
2
I am very tired of hearing about these ND agreement. If you are asked to sign one and don't want to then don't. If you do of your free will don't complain about it.
5
The article says these were at will employees. Was that stipulated in a contract? Was the “work til November” promise included in a contract? If not in a contract, then were the promises of work through the election made with sufficient wiggle room to indicate that it was a goal and an intention rather than a guarantee. I tend to think that a promise made, even with wiggle words, is one that should be kept, but these folks should also have known that campaign work is fraught with uncertainty.
7
@Dan The campaign hired top-quality staff, some of whom I know. To say they didn't know what they were getting into (that the type of work is fraught) is underestimating their experience and skill in the field.
2
@Dan
I'm not a lawyer, but I've worked for a few, and I've agreed to a lot of freelance contracts.
(1) If it's in writing, everybody has to follow what they agreed to in writing. In these days of email, the offer, acceptance, and terms are usually in writing. Then the only issue is interpreting the contract. If it says you'll be paid x dollars a month until November, even if Bloomberg drops out, that's what you get.
(2) If it's not in writing, you have to prove (if necessary to a jury) who said what. If you had lunch with a hiring supervisor, he said, "You'll be paid till November even if Bloomberg drops out of the race," and you shake hands, but never put it in writing, you might have trouble proving it. But if a *lot* of people say that the supervisors said you'll be paid till November, and you're all prepared to testify, you should have a good case.
The interesting thing, which I learned from lawyers, is that employment agreements don't have to be in writing (although written agreements are a good practice because they avoid disputes). Employment agreements can be oral. An employer and employee don't even have to speak the same language. An agreement can be a handshake.
For more details, go to law school.
1
I was an unpaid volunteer with the Bloomberg campaign. Many of the paid vols were hastily hired and were not so good at their jobs. If Bloomberg is being honest about providing the financial help there is no problem with what he is doing. No one should expect to retain a job they are not good at. There are probably better campaign workers in the former campaigns of Klobuchar, Warren, Pete, Cory and others than those hastily assembled by Bloomberg.
18
@Bananahead
An unpaid volunteer for a billionaire? The mind boggles.
@stan continople I am retired. Wasn't looking for a job. I didn't realize "billionaire" was a suspect classification.
I bet there is some grey area here. It sounds like these people can still have jobs if they want to move to another location or campaign. Bloomberg's hiring managers may have been too optimistic, but these people should know this type of work is unpredictable...
23
"His campaign also promised something rivals could not match: job security through the general election, even if he dropped out of the race.
But now, less than a week after Mr. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, left the Democratic presidential race ..."
That was quick.
Perhaps Bloomberg will issue an apology to the 1-percenters saying he was wrong in making such a promise - to pay for labor he no longer needs.
12
There's good news here and bad news.
The bad news is that it appears that people are losing jobs sooner than they expected.
The good news is the Mike Bloomberg was shown the data. That data has identified critical swing states where his efforts can make a difference. I wouldn't be surprised to see Florida and/or Texas added to that list.
Mike Bloomberg isn't going to waste money in a states that Trump can't win or can't lose.
If Joe Biden is smart, he'll select someone who can help him in those swing states (such as Amy Klobuchar or Sherrod Brown). There are other great people like Kamala Harris and Elizabeth who would be on Biden's short list, but I don't think they'd help Biden win those swing states.
I'm sure Mike Bloomberg already knows that as well.
17
What about the phrase "at will" do these campaign workers not understand? Doing a minimal amount of research they would have learned how risky campaign employment can be. On the other hand, campaign employment offers many opportunities for on-the-job training, sudden opportunities to move up and gain new exciting responsibilities, and building contacts that will last for many years.
43
@BetterTomorrow "At will" is strictly a legal term as you know. It might mean the Bloomberg campaign is in the clear legally ... but I think your comment is beside the point, because society can't work using contracts alone. A New York company, from a legal standpoint, can induce someone to quit his high-paying job, move from California to NYC, rent an apartment with a security deposit, etc., and then literally fire that person on his second day of the job for no reason. Like, sorry we changed our mind. That fired employee of course would be justified in screaming bloody murder, even with legal recourse unavailable. If we can't have a basic level of trust in the promises people make, outside of legal contracts, then we'd truly be in bad shape as a society. Luckily the world (mostly) doesn't work that way.
1
@BetterTomorrow "His campaign also promised something rivals could not match: job security through the general election, even if he dropped out of the race."
A man is only as good as his word. He is a billionaire, so he can afford to keep his word. But, he is a rich man, which means that his only interest is his money. We dodged a bullet when he dropped out- we don't need another tRump in office.
3
@Doug Piranha
Unless you are a lawyer with knowledge of New York State employment law, I don't believe you.
It's difficult to get hired these days without a written trail of email and text messages. If I were accepting a job like that, I would anticipate the possibility of something just like you described, and I would make it clear in writing how I would expect us to handle it -- paying relocation expenses, etc.
If somebody told me, "Quit your job, come to New York City, and work for us," after "How much does it pay?" my next question would be, "How secure is this job?" And it would be in writing.
Instead of complaining, why not do what Mike Bloomberg did when he was laid off? Come up with your own idea for something good and open your own company.
These jobs were opportunities and a roll of the dice. Nothing is guaranteed. Everyone is so quick to criticize and call their attorney.
Take some responsibility for your own choices, people!
76
@Sandra but we don't have to ask Bloomberg to take responsibility for his promises?
7
@Sandra And Bloomberg should take responsibility for keeping his word, no?
7
@Sandra Exactly. It's the nature of the beast. It happens. The real head scratcher who who is turning down full time job with similar salary to work to November?
1
What a shame not to use these people to further support Democratic candidates for the various positions. I had hoped that Bloomberg would continue to put his money to good use to get rid of Trump.
14
@garsar
As noted in the article, Bloomberg has looked at some data, and concluded that his resources and efforts should be focused only on six or seven states in play. He does not want to waste his powder on states that Trump cannot win or cannot lose. The article also says the campaign is open to sending staffers to those states, although it doesn’t appear that all will be useful.
8
@garsar According to the email that I got today from his organisation, he's doing just that. Laying off staffers in areas that aren't going to be competitive doesn't change that.
@garsar But that would mean that Bloomie is concerned with other things besides himself. Good one!
I’m so tired of the billionaires-are-evil, workers-are-good binary narrative.
Consider this: Bloomberg is retaining/paying out good talent and cutting those who thought they had gotten themselves a year to do nothing paid for by some billionaire.
51
@J They weren't expecting to do nothing. They were expecting to do the same work for a different candidate, in the same position. Billionaires are not considered evil. Just dishonest and manipulative, as was perfectly displayed here.
I always wondered where to rank campaign workers, above or below used car salesmen and such.
17
@PaulN
Cynicism without substance is not a good look. A substantial number of campaign staffers are volunteers, and most paid staff are nonetheless true believers in their candidates. How that equates to a used car salesman eludes most thoughtful people.
1
Some of these complaints are as much a reflection of the attitude of new generation of workers coming into the workplace. They expect to be praised when they do a mediocre job, and many of them ask for more pay even if they have little to no experience.
Bloomberg is still offering jobs to them if they want to move..., and there appear to be many people who were ready to dish about the problems associated with the campaign even if they have signed NDAs, and to state that whole organizing team signed on as Bloomberg employees but went out to canvass for Sanders.
41
Promises made, promises broken.
As a consolation prize they can keep their laptop and iPhone, but they have to pay tax on it?
With $70B, more or less, he should, at least, pay the tax for those he misled. He literally wasted $500M on his failed campaign, what's another few dollars?
21
@Richard If he paid their taxes then it would be an additional taxable income. So the workers would still have to pay taxes on the hardware and additional funds paid to them by Bloomberg.
29
@Richard
He didn't waste it. He succeeded in sabotaging the primaries to hamstring Warren and Sanders. If he were not in it the results today would be a lot different. His ads were not designed to get him elected they were designed to prevent Bernie/Warren from getting elected.
@F. Anthony It's called grossing up for the tax implications of a benefit. Simple formula. Broadly used every day.
1
Such a biased, slanted article, influenced by seven angry people out of an "army" of hundreds. This should have been an opinion column. Working for a political campaign is always uncertain. What did they expect, to be paid through November even if the campaign was ended?
Campaign finance laws prohibit Bloomberg from paying staff members to work for Biden or even directing them to another campaign. For a more balanced take on this story, try the WaPo
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mike-bloomberg-plans-new-group-to-support-democratic-nominee/2020/03/05/a2522c44-5f13-11ea-9055-5fa12981bbbf_story.html
78
@TigerLilyEye
That is misleading. Bloomberg could pay them to work for a pro-Biden PAC.
4
@TigerLilyEye "What did they expect, to be paid through November even if the campaign was ended?" Considering that he *promised them he would*, yes.
2
@Camille Also, he could have not made promises that he could not legally keep.
1
Oh, Mike. You were a Republican after all.
29
@Sam I respectfully disagree with your comment. Mike Bloomberg is a business man and he acted accordingly. I am sorry he is not still in the race.
1
Wait, so they get paid double the average campaign worker, they realize (contractually) that this is a race only one candidate can win, they are aware that with Bloomberg's resources behind Biden they are likely to get rehired shortly?
Why is this a story?
47
Oh please - it was a political campaign, they took a shot and lost. Is there nothing people won’t whine about.
56
Abolish billionaires.
9
The non-disclosure agreements were in writing and signed by each employee. But the supposed promises of a job (in non-battleground) states were made verbally. A warning to not believe what you hear, but only what you can see, and confirm. I agree with the campaign that they need to focus their efforts on the battleground states if the Dems hope to defeat Trump. This is also a warning that promises have to be rare, realistic and not idealistic.
41
@Ali
Focusing on the more closely contended states will weaken Democrats in the next election when voters in the "safe" states remember that Democrats neglected them. For now, Democrats should stay with the 50-state strategy, and switch to concentration on the close races only during the last six weeks or so before the election.
4
@Daniel Brockman Early voting may make your suggested last 6 weeks push ineffective.
2
@Daniel Brockman I live in a deep blue state, and I would be worried and annoyed if they did much campaigning here. I know it would be a waste of time and resources preaching to the converted, and we don't want or need the convincing. I doubt many people feel neglected that nobody's knocking on their door to sell them on something they already bought.
2
People like Bloomberg never lie, instead they maintain they have been given incorrect guidance and must revamp their planning even though it is the same people who supplied the original information.
15
So it was just a firewall against progressives.
13
Bloomberg? Who would ever be stupid enough to trust this squalid little man? Isn't this the same Bloomberg who promised he would abide by term limits when he ran for mayor ? Whose insatiable ego then bent him to change the law to do exactly what he had promised not to do?
Isn't this the same Bloomberg who tried to buy his way out support for of unconstitutional stop-and-frisk policies with a meager apology which no right-thinking person could see for anything less than a craven fraud?
No, Bloomberg is a man who considers himself above anyone who lacks his money, and considers no substitute for money sufficient to value in its place.
It was amusing to see him get the comeuppance he deserved.
28
I’ll take all the help from Mayor Bloomberg that we can get.
@Joe Lynch
Well Joe, I'd be careful about any jobs he offers you.
Intelligence has never been a barometer of morality.
11
It should be. It is smart to be moral.
@rlk
Nor has wealth.
1
Many people here are missing the point. imagine when buying a car you were told that you are being offered a 60,000 mile warranty only to be told that they are now changing that figure to 20,000 and from now on you’re on your own. Same as Trump – stiffing his contractors. BTW I was planning on voting for Bloomberg in the New York primary.
18
@martello It's not exactly the same. A more accurate representation would be getting that car at half off, and since they're changing the warranty terms, they're throwing in new tires and brakes. Continuing with this analogy, we know this car model has problems but would be willing to help you out if you decide to stick with us and buy a different model from the same stable but is known to be more of a sure shot/reliable. FWIW, I was also planning on voting for Bloomberg, guess it's Biden now.
What an opportunist. So happy his cadidacy failed and that Warren struck hard. Amazing people still fall for billionaires promises. If they have to chose between people and money the dollar will always win. Good riddance.
14
That's why he's much richer than Trump. High pay for no work doesn't work. He's been most generous to Hopkins, the MET, and many other worthwhile parties including the Democrats, which he'll likely continue continue. Wish he would had supported Warren but that doesn't seem to be in the supper rich's DNA.
3
An offer of employment, especially in campaigns season, doesn’t give you the leeway to suspend logic and reason. While having no way of knowing for certain, I expect the employment contract is being followed to a tee. IMHO
14
The rich stay rich by staying cheap.
In any case, given the poor reputation that campaigns have for paying their debts etc., who among these workers actually believed anything they were told?
16
@Daedalus
But it was Bloomy! Isn't he the good billionaire?
12
One of many campaign promises for convenience now broken. Can we please elect someone with a principled policy agenda that we can count on to do (or at least try to do) what he says he will? (Hint: it’s only Bernie Sanders.)
7
It has been my longtime experience that the richest people are the cheapest when it comes to those who work for them.
20
What, a billionaire failing to keep his promises to the little guy??! Now I’ve heard everything.
The promises made to these folks should be honored. However, I would also point out that they sold their souls...
14
Workers "were told" they'd be paid through the general election? They didn't get it in writing? If it's in writing, they can sue. If it was oral, I wonder if they have any recourse except in generating bad press, especially if they have the option to work for him in another state.
14
@Penn
They might have a case.
2
@Penn
Rule #1 - never sue anyone much richer than you because they will out lawyer you into bankruptcy.
My recollection was that the offices in the key battleground states would be left open until November. Seemed clear to me from reading the news. Unfortunately he had to drop out early which impacted many staff in the non battleground states. Those people should be venting at his consultants for the shoddy debate preparation they provided. He went to that 1st debate ready to debate issues that would impact the nation, not to fumble through the brilliant character assassination theater from Warren. Trump must have loved that.
6
Bloomberg proved he is a politician through and through with promises made/promises broken.
8
Next time if it is a dealbreaker get it in writing. If they won't put it in writing then it is just talk.
8
You don't get to be a billionaire by (a) sticking to your promises to underlings or (b) being a nice guy. Wake up, America. None of these men deserve to have that much money. Tax billionaires out of existence. Let them learn to live as mere millionaires.
21
When Bloomberg left the race that should have been the first clue unemployment was to soon follow. To think anything to the contrary reeks of an entitlement mentality...
12
@Mindy H
NOPE. He made the promise up front when they accepted the job. If he made it conditionally then they probably would not be complaining. After all he got some of them to move to another state expecting at least one years work. Few people will move for a job without certainty of shortest amount if time it will last.
Moral of the story- Never ever trust a billionaire!
52
What would expect from an uber capitalist like Mike Bloomberg? Also, I’m not surprised that he’s backing his “good friend” Joe Biden against Senator Sanders. Before you cast your primary vote, please ask yourself the following question: why do we keep putting plutocrats and their profits before working class people in America?
26
@Zareen
Because propaganda works.
9
@Zareen
Frankly, I do not trust anyone worth more than a million bucks to be looking out for me without keeping a close eye on them. Even Bernie has assets to protect.
Mr. Bloomberg is an accomplished business man, an attribute that is touted highly in the qualifications for a candidate. The little "inside baseball" i have gleaned from consultants is that a great proportion of labor for his companies are performed outside the US.
I surmise Mr. Bloomberg's model is much like the one that evolved from Sam Walton, which in essence is to dictate to the suppliers at what price, form, quality and quantity to deliver in order to obtain the business.
The US labor model for business has spawned a service model of lawyers and law firms to minimize the cost of labor in all of its aspects. I recently attended an institute for my home state bar continuing education and there were over three hundred lawyers, all swimming in the pond like piranhas.
The typical employee or independent contractor will likely become an "employee at will" (reference the 1619 Project) and even if there is a definite term and compensation there will be numerous "but not if" clauses and the ultimate "insubordination."
The property rights of the company/enterprise will likely be protected by trade secret, non disclosure clauses all the way to black op deeds performed.
13
It is also important to try to compete in Maine 2nd and Nebraska 2nd. Iirc, these two districts plus PA and MI would flip the result if nothing else changed.
As far as turning down desirable permanent employment for an Astro turf campaign job, that seems quite unwise. Not that I have much sympathy for Mayor Mike, but this sounds like someone trying to inflate the damage they suffered from misleading recruiting.
9
Non-disclosure agreements AGAIN!
We need to cut back on this pervasive use of NDAs. These agreements prevent the public from having access to information that they need to perform their functions as informed citizens.
35
@StatBoy
So you think it is desirable for Trump to be able to get Bernie’s campaign strategy from a disgruntled former Bernie Bro?
This is typically how billionaires view the working class, expendable. Its always about them. Mike should stop (and frisk) this kind of behavior immediately.
162
So, they are taking Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico (states Hillary won by very narrow margins) for granted.
Let's be clear. Latinos overwhelmingly voted for Bernie. Without broad outreach, they are not going to vote in November.
23
@Berry
Re: Colorado, N.M, etc.
These voters have turned out for Bernie. If he’s not the nominee, his new job is to bring them along for Biden and the Democrat Party.
5
@Berry Then they will hurt themselves and their families. Not voting for the Democratic candidate no matter who it is, is dangerous. Trump can do a lot more harm and his done a lot already.
7
@garsar
This is the fear mantra that keeps the working class in their place and Wall Street happy. The Dems are not your party anymore--how many times do they have to prove it?
It was common knowledge that Bloomberg was going to focus on the battleground states if he did not succeed in getting the nomination. These folks should quit whining...not sure why this is even a news story.
103
@Bill Leach it’s because he said he’d keep his operation running no matter what
15
@Bill Leach I guess it seems of little importance to you that Bloomberg cannot be trusted to live up to his commitments.
20
According to the article, Bloombergs’s campaign workers outside the battle ground states were promised they would be kept on even if he dropped out the race. According to the article, some of them moved to different states in reliance on that promise. According to the article, some of them did not take competing jobs on other campaigns in reliance on that promise. Then Bloomberg dropped out and now the campaign workers are being told they have no jobs. It explains that Bloomberg is not trustworthy.
I can see why this a news story.
38
So much for Wall Street's Number One Preferred Candidate ... Mike Bloomberg.
It should be a lesson to all the Chumps lining up for Biden against Sanders. STOP WORKING against you're own economic interests by supporting another Wall Street GoFer candidate - Joe Biden!!!
51
@Bill Edley Nonsense. Biden is a Liberal, always has been.
3
They're learning quickly why Elizabeth Warren was right.
130
@617to416 Elizabeth backed off of single payer healthcare and backtracked on taking untraceable Super PAC money. She made me feel sad.
8
@617to416 Bwah. Lizzie made a pinkie promise with me and she still didn’t get the nomination. Move on.
2
@Pete
Yes but she also showed just how powerful a corrupter of our system PAC's are.
9
I hear Tulsi Gabbard is looking for field organizers. So what will it be? Stop and frisk or bait and switch?
4
@Frunobulax
Tulsi who?
3
Bloomberg likely has to approach things like this, to put clear and total separation between his super PAC and the DNC campaign, from the outset...
He likely didn't anticipate that things would coalesce so quickly...
PS
A heartfelt thanks to him, in that regard...
Coalescing rapidly and strategically had been an exclusively-GOP play till now...
PPS
Does anyone know how things would work if Mike were to be drafted to be VP...
i.e. could he fund the ticket's campaign as freely and directly as if he were leading it...
4
@W in the Middle NO THANKS!
2
As a NYC public school teacher during the dark years of Bloomberg's mayoralty, my colleagues and I could have told these people what a nasty piece of work Bloomberg is.
And his campaign has now done to them what it would have surely done to all American workers, had Democratic voters not had the wisdom to reject this moral midget, whose wealth is used to mask his class and racial viciousness.
78
@Michael Fiorillo: Touche, sir!
6
Congrats NYT! You found a way to demonize Bloomberg even after he is out of the race. And you managed to bring up non-disclosure agreements again....this is really juicy stuff for you guys, good work.
28
@Peter Trying to damage him because he has promised to pull out all the stops for Biden. It's obvious what's going on here.
3
@Peter: What?! They are exposing this lying opportunistic oligarch for who he really is. Yet another round of applause for Warren for exposing him for the DINO he really is.
9
@Peter Sounds to me like the guy demonized himself. And you know you’re probably not getting paid for this anymore, right?
6
A "President" Biden's policies will require House and Senate majorities.
Bloomberg needs to broaden focus to flip the Senate:
Colorado (Gardner), Maine (Collins), North Carolina (Thom Tillis), Arizona (McSally, Iowa (Ernst), Montana (Bullock)
Ah, for a cherry on top throw some pocket change at McConnell.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/03/09/small-donors-democrats-flip-senate/
9
@4anon Bloomberg is fine with the Republicans keeping the senate. He's also fine with four more years of Trump. He just didn't want Bernie or Warren to win.
Lol, imagine thinking Bloomberg would give handouts. He hasn't made 60 billion dollars giving handouts.
17
Well, he may such a big to do about even if he dropped out he would keep the organization in place to help the nominee and other democrats who were running. As expected, he threw them out with yesterday's bath water. This is how rich people treat the regular people, it is always about the rich and for all those people who were counting on additional salaries, to bad for you.
Just like his apology for Stop & Frisk in a black church was nothing but a lie. Bloomberg was never for anyone but his elite friends and he was a terrible mayor for anyone who didn't live in the Upper East Side.
So out of all the "we care" Bernie and Warren were the only two who really cared. Biden will do what he wants and forget about all the black people who put him over the top.
Bloomberg has no shame and no decency
20
Bloomberg should sue his workers for fraudulent actions, they are totally useless
3
@Sane what? This is all about how Bloomie said he was going to keep his operations running no matter the outcome and now he’s pulling the plug. He’s a carpetbagger.
7
We are a nation, not a corporation. Mr. Bloomberg, as CEOs often will, does not see the difference. A president is not a CEO, and citizens are not stockholders, but stakeholders.
28
What else did they expect would happen? Did they think that for the first time in human history a politician would actually keep his promises? Welcome to the real world!
16
The Main Rreason That Democratic Party Lost to Trump in 2016 was because They Were Not Fighting For Something,but They Were Only Fighting To Stop Something (Fascism and Racism) or Somebody (Trump). It seems like Democrats are trying to repeat the same mistakes this year; both in The Primary (Stop Sanders) and The General (Stop Trump). History shows that Voters Respond To A Campaign That Offers Something or Ideas than the one that's just against something or ideas or Somebody. Democrats must come up with a Clear Vision and Irresistible Brand. Like him or not,Trump has an irresistible Brand called " Make America Great Again". Instead of offering their own irresistible Brand,Hillary and the Obamas wasted their time and energy trying to prove that America is already great. As we now know,many voters didn't believe that America is already great. Among all the two dozens democratic candidates,it's only one that has a Brand which is "For All" in terms of Medicare For All,Public Colleges For All,Government Should Work For All,Housing For All,This Country For All and not for the few wealthy people,and he also has a Motto which is " Not me,Us". Can anyone tell me the Brand or even the Motto of Joe Biden besides "Defeat Trump" and "I'm The Most Electable" ? While defeating Trump might be the number one goal of tribal Democrats,it might not be the number one goal of Independent and Swing Voters who actually decide the outcome of any presidential election.
21
@Ukosi So, I see you're not taken in by the 'Vote blue, no matter who.' tribal mantra. Points for that:)
5
@Ukosi: Irresistible brand? Please. MAGA is highly resistible.
5
Is there a secret message in the capitalized words?
5
Big surprise. Bloomberg's wearing his businessman/politician hat, not his philanthropist hat. People who work on campaigns are lucky if they get their paychecks. Only "true-believers" need apply.
12
Political campaigns end every day.
While the campaign was wrong to mislead them, the workers need to get real and move on.
Non-disclosure agreements, however, should be ruled unconstitutional; they're a complete violation of the First Amendment and the human right to tell the truth.
37
@Socrates Regarding NDA, "yes, but..." NDAs are essential in some contexts. For example, consulting with an innovative company, performing M&A work, or having access to your employer's trade secrets. It is the scope of the NDAs that should be limited. Crafting the wording around that is difficult, but not impossible.
10
@tew
That is the reason for them. The great wave of deregulation and rewriting of law to corrupt our systems expanded their use by law.
I do not think any honest judge could mistake a trade secret for what an honest citizen would say was revealing of dishonest or criminal activity.
3
Sounds like a bad bait and switch, and Bloomberg never should have promised these people employment until November without making it clear they'd have to move.
On the other hand, knowing that Bloomberg will be investing heavily in those 6 battleground states mentioned is great news.
13
@Frank Roseavelt
What republicans mean by "investing in" is: I have found another pile of treasure we can steal from the true owners with a small investment in a fake business that will trick them into letting us take it."
4
The Main Rreason That Democratic Party Lost to Trump in 2016 was because They Were Not Fighting For Something,but They Were Only Fighting To Stop Something (Fascism and Racism) or Somebody (Trump). It seems like Democrats are trying to repeat the same mistakes this year; both in The Primary (Stop Sanders) and The General (Stop Trump). History shows that Voters Respond To A Campaign That Offers Something or Ideas than the one that's just against something or ideas or Somebody. Democrats must come up with a Clear Vision and Irresistible Brand. Like him or not,Trump has an irresistible Brand called " Make America Great Again". Instead of offering their own irresistible Brand,Hillary and the Obamas wasted their time and energy trying to prove that America is already great. As we now know,many voters didn't believe that America is already great. Among all the two dozens democratic candidates,it's only one that has a Brand which is "For All" in terms of Medicare For All,Public Colleges For All,Government Should Work For All,Housing For All,This Country For All and not for the few wealthy people,and he also has a Motto which is " Not me,Us". Can anyone tell me the Brand or even the Motto of Joe Biden besides "Defeat Trump" and "I'm The Most Electable" ? While defeating Trump might be the number one goal of tribal Democrats,it might not be the number one goal of Independent and Swing Voters who actually decide the outcome of any presidential election.
6
Sounds like these people didn't have employment agreements stipulating minimum term and severance. Also sounds like they get 1 months severance for 3 months of employment. Not unfair.
I'm surprised you didn't compare the severance to Warren, Klobuchar, Mayor Pete, Harris etc... Were those better or worse....?
46
@RobF Did those other candidates lie to all their campaign workers about how long they would be employed? Your analogy is so flawed as to raise your motive for making it.
8
Stop the muck-raking here. Folks, Mike Bloomberg has demonstrated for decades through action he is a decent, generous and - like all of us - flawed human being. If you think you are entitled to a job for a defunct campaign in other than a swing state, without being willing to relocate, you are wrong. Consider that you may be looking through a lens of narcissistic entitlement that is too common in our society. With low unemployment, jobs are not hard to find. Here's how this sounds: "cry cry cry, my candidate lost and now I don't get to keep my $70,000 salary. The rich guy should continue to give me money just because he said I could have a job through November." Isn't that attitude just another form of feeding at the trough? Sell the laptop and phone if you want, file for unemployment, and use $10 of the proceeds to buy and read "Who Moved My Cheese". And don't forget to thank him for his generosity and willingness to spend $1 billion to defeat Trump. (Written by a centrist entrepreneur who could have retired years ago and is paying all his staff more than he is making as we navigate these tough times).
112
@check you should thank yourself for your service. Oh wait, you already did.
16
@check If I agree to a certain set of conditions and sign a contract, then indeed I am "entitled" to receive the promised obligations. That is how contracts work. But for some reason employers think a contract with their employees is only a letter of intent from their side.
14
@check
If, as the article states, he made commitments to keep the people on payroll until November even if he dropped out and he's now breaking those commitments, then the workers have a legitimate grievance. Many of them gave up other opportunities to pursue this one. Bloomberg is saving money, not losing money, by dropping out, so what excuse does he have not to pay what he promised to pay?
7
Who hasn't ever been lied to or sold a bill of goods in a job interview? Both parties are lying, at best. That said, at will is the key. Unless you have a contract, why bother fighting? You were compensated very well.
15
If you have been recently jilted, jolted, or otherwise jabbed by a billionaire, there is campaign waiting for you. It is full of love and justice. It is called the Sanders campaign. We welcome you to the struggle.
14
@Area Man
And you'll be done after Michigan.
With no laptop or iPhone, or promise of a job in a battleground state.
4
@DD
I laughed out loud at your comment. I don't agree with it but it was funny none the less.
How is it possible that this article includes no information about what Bloomberg or his campaign claims they promised the workers in job interviews?
12
@polymath: They had to sign those handy dandy tools of the rich - NDAs.
5
Campaign workers are upset, after being paid double the normal salary, that they lose their jobs when their candidate drops out of the race?
What entitlement.
84
@Mom Exactly!!
3
@Mom And it sounds like they are being offered a chance to more to one of the target states for continued work. Not the best deal to have to move but my guess is that many of these folks are fairly mobile as compared to your average worker.
20
@Mom Now multiply the number of upset campaign workers by four orders of magnitude, and you will arrive at the number of people upset with Bernie Sanders when they realize that their "FREE ___" didn't materialize.
10
Billionaire promises = everyone else's tears. Welcome to the oligarchic "promises," former Bloomberg enthusiasts. You are expendable and without a voice thanks to the infamous NDAs.
9
"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."
Honore de Balzac (1799-1850)
Broken promises? Yes, those, too.
As for the used electronics, what was Bloomberg going to do with them? Bulk sales with free buttons and lawn signs included?
This is America. Ask the Native Americans about the value of promises made by older, rich white men. Breaking promises is how they got rich in the first place. Anybody out there interested in a real great deal on a cruise ship vacation?
17
Bloomberg, Bernie and Biden are making or have made lots of promises that they have no intent to deliver on, because they aren't in control of Congress and they are lying to get votes. The Democratic primary has been simply one long trail of lies and deception, no worse or better than the man's ethics they claim to despise. In fact Trump's bombastic actions are actually more truthful than winding people up over things like the green new deal and m4a.
2
How is it more truthful? We are still waiting for 'beautiful' healthcare he promised 4 years ago?
4
Last week, The Onion had a brutal, fictional account of a paid Bloomberg campaign worker who truly gave up a lot to work only one day. Not entirely fictional I guess. I doubt anyone who piles up billions is above a little cutthroat cruelty to save a buck.
2
Well we've found out how truthful Bloomberg's campaign promises are. Fortunately,we didn't have to wait till he was elected to find out how worthless they were.
8
NDA’s like SLAPP suits are lawyers tricks designed to suppress the dissemination of information that can reflect poorly on some wealthy person or organization. Its why people like Bloomberg and Trump use them. Its also why what was once (NDA’s) a legitimate practice to protect trade secrets has morphed into a tool for oppression and secrecy. SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) suits have no legitimacy and exist only as a tool of oppression and secrecy. Trump likes those too.
8
There were couples of articles of campaign organizers were openly grifting : paid by Bloomberg and went out to organize for Sanders. So should one be surprised that they may not enjoy continual paychecks while they campaign for another candidate.
It is also probably against campaign finance law for Bloomberg to keep its existing structure and use the staff to held Biden, so a new structure has to be set up. Biden has little to no staff in many States, so there should be plenty of openings-- just not the same pay as what Bloomberg offered.
28
If it is true that Bloomberg is backing out on salary commitments to employees in what became a defunct enterprise, it sounds a lot like Trump.
116
@Gordon Hastings
Hmmm I signed on to a political campaign and my candidate didn’t go the distance. I’m shocked and dismayed to find that I’m out of a job? And that all I get is a computer and severance pay through March. And Bloomberg is at fault here because... he was overly optimistic about his chances at winning?
37
@Gordon Hastings
It's not even close to Trump who regularly refused to pay people for work already done. Very different.
34
If the hiring official at the time of the interview said that the employee would be retained through to the general election in November, they should keep that promise or never have said it in the first place. It reeks of Trump stiffing his contractors for one excuse or another.
9
This is how campaigns have always worked. The positions are temporary, and those on winning teams leverage their efforts for jobs in the Administration of their candidate, other campaigns or grassroots political efforts, think tanks, policy positions, etc.
64
@Annie Stewart’s
Yes, but the point is that Mr. Bloomberg and team hired these folks with promises that his campaign is different: they would be guaranteed these jobs through the November election.
Would Mike have won the election, what other promises would he be breaking?
178
@Annie Stewart’s Except Bloomberg told them they'd have a job until November. They told them this position was temporary, but until November.
19
@Annie Stewart’s However, when these particular staffers were hired, they were promised job security through the general election. Bloomberg is going back on his promise.
It's nice that he's donated lots of money to good causes but that doesn't erase the fact that he lied to his employees.
27
"The email specified the value of those devices — ranging from $1,400 to $1,700, depending on the model of the computer — and noted that employees would be required to pay taxes on those amounts."
I wouldn't mind betting that those numbers are either the full retail MSRP or else straight line depreciation for those items. Does not sound like a deal to me.
18
@Andrew
Get to keep new MacBooks and IPhones?? AND a job if you want to move with the campaign AND a stipend for moving?
Sounds like a great deal and good experience. What do people expect? A deposit in their 401K also?
55
@Andrew sell them on eBay...and only pay tax on the sales price....
6
@Sandra
They are expected to show up and work hard for the time period contracted (Nov.).
But now the employer reneges upon the contract.
What did they expect?
Honesty and fair play. Just as the employer demanded of them.
The least the billionaire could do is pay the salary for the term hired.
They were instead lied and cheated.
"Sounds like a great deal and good experience."
31