by Tula Connell, Jun 19, 2007

Bill Richardson
Dennis Kucinich
Hillary Rodham Clinton
John Edwards
Barack Obama

There’s tons of action right now in the union movement around the Employee Free Choice Act, which will be introduced in the Senate this week, as well as all the great panels and workshops at the Take Back America 2007 conference.

But wait…there’s even more. Today, 2,000 members of AFSCME are gathering in Washington, D.C., where they will hear from 2008 presidential candidates.

The forum is going on right now, and Jonathan Singer at MyDD is covering it live.

Here are a few excerpts from candidates (in order of appearance) who have spoken so far today. For regular updates, stop by MyDD throughout the day.

Bill Richardson. Iraq, he says, is the most important issue facing America, and he has the clearest position—withdrawal of all American forces through negotiations. Congress has been too weak on Iraq; and were he there, he would push for legislation to defund the war this calendar year. Richardson says he would appoint a union member as secretary of labor, and that he supports legislation such as the Employee Free Choice Act. He says he will not support the privatization of public jobs. Richardson opposes privatization of Social Security and would end raids on the Social Security trust fund as now is happening under the Bush administration. 

Dennis Kucinich. His opening remarks focus on piece of mind, talking about nationwide universal single-payer health care. Kucinich believes workers should not lose their pensions when a private equity firm buys out a public company and says he would cancel the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) and go back to bilateral trade. Kucinich once again calls for changing U.S. trade policy in response to a question about outsourcing. On Iraq, Kucinich cites his opposition to war, which pre-dated the invasion. In his closing remarks, Kucinich speaks to the need for universal health care, stating he is the only candidate to support a single-payer system. 

Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton begins by speaking to the importance of unions, and AFSCME in particular, in strengthening America and the middle class. She notes her support for the Employee Free Choice Act and says workers should not be left behind while the nation’s productivity grows. Clinton says that we should begin withdrawing troops from Iraq right now and that American soldiers have done their jobs but the Iraqi politicians have not. If Iraqis don’t meet standards like an oil law, funding for them should be cut. Finally, she says, there should be diplomacy in the region. “If the president doesn’t end our involvement in Iraq…I will.” Clinton seems to go 90 percent toward joining Richardson in supporting a union person for labor secretary. On NAFTA, Clinton says there was some good but also some bad. She also says that some of the problems attributed to NAFTA—like jobs going to Canada—actually are caused by lower health care costs north of the border.

John Edwards. Edwards speaks to the importance of unions. His parents, family have health care because of unions. He has worked to organize workers into unions across the country, including a local at AFSCME. America, he says, needs a president who will speak to the importance of unions, who supports card-check and a ban of permanent replacement workers. On NAFTA, Edwards says, there needs to be changes. Edwards says there should be a renewal of the social contract that has been whittled down, a social contract that ensures health care rights, workers’ rights, a right to education, etc. Edwards explains the importance of the Employee Free Choice Act. Edwards supports TSA/HSA collective bargaining rights privatization of public jobs. On CEO pay, Edwards indicates support for shareholder say in executive salaries. Regarding Iraq, he says he would withdraw between 40,000 and 50,000 troops immediately, draw down more troops subsequently over 10 months, then engage in diplomacy inside and outside of Iraq.  

Barack Obama.Obama appears to get the loudest response from the crowd. He talks about organizing 150,000 new voters in 1992 with AFSCME. Also talks about the need for universal health care, right to unionize through majority sign-up (card-check), a new energy plan and an end to the Iraq war (and notes his opposition to the war from the start). Obama lays out his case for opposing the war at the beginning. He says, “We need to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in,” that a phased redeployment needs to begin. “It is time for us to bring our troops home.” But there should not be compromise on workers’ rights to organize, right to education, on civil rights, on retirement rights. Obama says he believes in trade, but there needs to be labor standards, environmental standards—and standards that are enforced—and there needs to be a Department of Labor, not a Department of Employers. He flubs name of Employee Free Choice Act for a moment, but notes support for card-check, and then gets name of legislation correct.

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