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Democratic Candidates Slam China, Support Working Families at Iowa AFL-CIO Forum |
Six Democratic candidates turned their rhetorical guns on China at an Iowa Federation of Labor forum Wednesday in Waterloo. Citing the recent recalls of millions of toys made in China, the candidates accused that country of unfair trade practices, currency manipulation and low production standards.
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) slammed China as an “adversary,” according to a Des Moines Register report:
When you take my jobs because you subsidize your currency, when you send contaminated food and poison to my country…you’re no longer a competitor, in my view. When you steal my jobs, you’re becoming an adversary.
Addressing issues of concern to working families, the candidates deplored the massive U.S. trade deficit with China, which has displaced 1.8 million U.S. jobs, and the country’s currency manipulation, which gives China an unfair trading advantage over U.S. manufacturers.
Forbes reports that Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) told the Iowa AFL-CIO’s annual meeting:
There ain’t no such thing as free trade unless its fair trade, and that’s not what’s happening now.
In addition to Biden and Dodd, candidates at the forum were Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D). Showing their working family-friendly credentials, they all hailed the importance of unions in rebuilding a strong middle class.
Richardson repeated his pledge to appoint a union member as secretary of labor and get rid of “union-busting attorneys” in the Labor Department, the Register reported.
Obama said no Democrat can take the union vote for granted:
Everybody in this meeting is pro-labor, and that makes a tougher decision for all of you.…That’s a good thing because it indicates that the Democratic Party has kind of shaken off their timidity and their uncertainty, and they’re clear about who they should be working for and representing.
The Iowa forum was one of more than a dozen held by the AFL-CIO and affiliates to let union household members hear directly from candidates about their plans and positions on working family issues—and to ensure the candidates hear what’s on the minds of working men and women. The national AFL-CIO hosted seven town hall meetings around the country with Democratic as well as the AFL-CIO Presidential Candidates Forum on Aug. 7 in Chicago.
Democratic candidates spoke at events held by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) in March, the AFT and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) in May, AFSCME in June and the United Steelworkers (USW) in July. The Fire Fighters (IAFF) held a bipartisan debate for presidential candidates in March, and the Machinists (IAMAW) will host another later this month.
Last Saturday, according to the Forth Worth Star-Telegram, Clinton continued her effort to reach out to working family voters when she spoke at a labor hall in Houston, saying:
Nobody works harder than Americans. Wages aren’t up. Benefits aren’t secure. But corporate profits are up. It’s not the rich who made America great. It’s the hard-working middle class.…This is a house that labor built. The American middle class owes a lot to the labor movement.
Find out more about candidates’ positions on trade and other issues at the AFL-CIO’s Working Families Vote 2008 website.
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AFL CIO needs to ask all Presidential Candidates to sign onto a letter of intent which addresses the following:
1) The reversal of the Bush Presidential order forbidding PLA’s on Federal projects - replacing it with a order requiring PLA’s to be the norm on all Federal projects - needs to be done within the first 48 hours in office.
2) Withdraw the United States from any trade agreements which do not have standards included in them which address labor and environmental issues. Included must be minimum wage and hours of work as well as the right to organize. Must include protections for workers trying to organize and card check recognition. Needs to be done within the first 100 hours
3) Need to agree to place tax penalties on companies which out source American jobs, or export them out of the Country. Needs to be done within first 100 days.
4) Need to agree to not take any political contributions from any corporations, lobbyist, or representatives of corporations or lobbyist who are on the AFL-CIO’s anti-Union list, or who do not recognize card check organizing for their employees.
5 ) Need to agree to push for legislation which set the same standard for imported products as are held for domestic products, i.e. food pass USDA inspections, no lead based paints, no asbestos, etc. And that no products will be imported from countries with a record of poor labor or environmental practices.
Any candidate who will not sign such a pledge should not be endorsed by any labor Union, as the only way we are going to rebuild the middle class in America is to assure that our workers are competing for jobs on a level playing field
FYI, I have been sending emails to my state senators, (Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chuck Schumer), for years now, and I’m still waiting for my first reply. SO, while it certainly sounds really nice that Hillary is finally on board, I’ll reserve judgement until I see some tangible results. AND, REMEMBER, it was Bill Clinton that ramrodded “most favored nation” trade status for China through congress. (I figure that’s why Hillary never responded to me on this issue.). As far as I’m concerned, Bill Clinton jumped out of Democrat territory, and coopted the Republicans on China trade. And the Republican party has been very happy that, (for whatever reason), Clinton carried their water for them. And need I mention NAFTA
I love what Senator Chris Dodd has said about China. It is now time that the future leaders of America realize that globalization is hurting this country far more than what the terrorists have done on 911. Unbalanced trade with China has generated more wealth to only a few lucky Americans while leaving the rest of us biting the dust.
Brothers and Sisters:
I am certainly no fan of imported junk from China (tainted or otherwise) but let’s not let Congress get away with all the scapegoating. Here we are in 2007, and politicians are pointing their fingers at China while saying, “bad, bad”. In 1993, however, Congress passed NAFTA, which was followed by other anti-worker, anti-union trade schemes like WTO, CAFTA, etc. Was Congress “crying the blues” for workers back then? Hell no! They only find god when it gets close to election season. And now? Congress wants to shift the blame to China for the laws Congress passed. It is a shell game. Politicians do not want to suffer the consequences for having sold out U.S. workers, so they need a scapegoat. In 2003 it was Iraq. Then Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, and other “axis of evil” nations.
Answer me these questions: Are China, Iraq, Iran, et al, responsible for 47 million Americans being without health care? Nearly 20% of our children living in poverty? Over 15 million families earning less than $10,000 per year? A critical shortage of affordable housing? Under-funded public education? U.S. workers robbed of their pensions? A dramatic reduction in jobs that pay family-sustaining wages? (The list is a long one, but I’ll stop here.)
The answers are no, no, no, no, no, no, no, and some more no’s.
Dear reader, Congress does not represent the 90% of us who call ourselves “blue collar Americans”. (Don’t let the “blue collar” tag fool you. Teachers are blue collar, as are dish washers, longshoremen, retail clerks, ditch diggers, social workers, and anyone else who works for wages.)
There are two primary reasons why Congress does not represent us: 1) 85 % of them identify themselves as something other than “blue collar”, and 2) We don’t make ‘em.
Congress hasn’t got the answers, they just pretend they do. Look at the results! If they were subjected to a pass or fail test before being allowed to seek re-election there would be about 450 new people in Washington, D.C.. Congress is not doing a good job. That is why, dear reader, when politicians point a finger at China, or anywhere else offshore, we should give them the single-digit salute right back! When they point offshore they are trying to divert our attention away from how badly they have screwed things up here at home. Don’t let them get away with it!
All is not lost. We can turn things around. A line from Sicko points the way: “In France the government fears the people. In the U.S., the people fear the government”.
Politicians only fear ballot box revenge. Let your Congress person know they have something to fear. If, however, you’re lucky enough to be represented by folks like Barbara Lee, Dennis Kucinich, John Conyers, Lynn Woolsey, and others like them with nearly 100% pro-working class voting records, send them a letter of thanks, and a few bucks. Tell all the others, however, that they have one year to shape up. If they are still pointing fingers next September, they do not deserve your vote. We want solutions. The blame-game has grown old. Tell them so!
Postscript: I am 66 years old. I have never seen a meaner, slimier, more corrupt and mean spirited GOP crowd in all my years. None of them deserve your vote.
It is very difficult to survive with Bush’s acts of utter and devestating stupidity. This anti American Bush is bent on detroying working Families. Or maybe he sold out to Mexico.
Agency backs opening border to long-haul Mexican trucks
By Paul M. Krawzak
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
August 18, 2007
WASHINGTON – A federal transportation agency yesterday defended President Bush’s plan to open the border to long-haul Mexican truck traffic in a response to overwhelmingly negative public views of the proposal.
The 27-page defense appearing in the Federal Register advances the controversial cross-border trucking pilot program one step closer to implementation.
Good points - all - but in reference to “Rich A”, I am afraid of our government. I have never felt this way before, but because Congress has been so non-committal in addressing the needs of the American people, and it continues to allow Bush free rein in his destruction of America and our freedoms, I am very afraid of what will happen next. HOWEVER, I will not let Bush or the other incompetent idiots who run this country defeat me, but it’s going to take brains and guts, and we have got a fight on our hands!