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Trumka on MSNBC: Jobs Summit a Good Step
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AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said tonight on MSNBC’s “The Ed Show” he was encouraged by the White House Jobs Summit earlier today and that he’s looking forward to working on the urgent goal of job creation.
Trumka told host Ed Schultz that in the discussions among President Obama, administration officials, economists and business leaders, there was a broad consensus that we need to fix an economy that has shed millions of jobs. Trumka said of the jobs summit:
I think it worked really well. The president really does understand the urgency of job creation. He said it on numerous occasions: jobs, jobs, jobs. I think his staff and Cabinet understand the importance of job creation. A lot of good ideas came out today that are usable. If we turn them around real quick, we can start putting Americans back to work in weeks.
Trumka pointed to the weatherization of commercial and residential buildings as an example of a project that boosts the economy in the short term and strengthens it in the long term. Not only do the workers who are doing weatherization benefit, but businesses and families who have their facilities and homes improved save money on energy bills. And everyone reaps environmental benefits from improved energy efficiency.
Unions, Trumka noted, are doing a lot of the training for green jobs. In addition, unions help workers bargain for a fair share of the economy:
This economy must be driven by consumer demand. The only way to create consumer demand is to put money in their pockets. Unions put more money in their members’ pockets.
Trumka also stressed the need to rebuild manufacturing in this country.
Here’s the AFL-CIO’s five-point plan to create jobs and put the country to work.
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3 Comments
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The Dallas paper reports that President Obama doesn’t want government spending to ease the jobs crisis, but prefers “private sector” solutions. It says that ideas relating to government spending were presented, but not backed by the President.
This after announcing another $30 billion to occupy a foreign country! Clearly, the U.S.A. has its priorities wrong! We have to get behind the AFL-CIO’s program and amplify our voices!
Gene Lantz, UAW 848 and North Texas Jobs with Justice
http://www.labordallas.org
I’m glad we had this Labor summit at the White House, and I surely hope something will come out of it. Bankers are not the only industry that needs help, the middle class has been under attack for 25 years with this insane Free Market concept. The big culprit in our loss of jobs is outsourcing. Tax credits for hiring American workers and a wider tariff system would be a step in the path to increased American employment. My latest political cartoon is about this very proposal, it’s up on my website right now
http://www.whatnowtoons.com
left of center political cartoons
There was never any question about where Obama’s loyalties lie – with the business elites who funded his election and backed his Wall Street Bailout and the corrupt warlords who have stolen the nation’s treasure to kill more innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can’t invest in health care, education, green jobs, or construction while wasting trillions of dollars on wars.
Earlier articles before this sham summit claimed that Trumka would demand funds for jobs and that labor would hold accountable the elected officials we helped elect who do not support workers. Well, that apparently was a promise as shallow and hollow as Obama.
A serious labor movement would be promoting a Labor Party and putting forward candidates now to challenge the worthless Democrat party in 2010 and 2012.
see:
Obama jobs summit: “No money for jobs”
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/dec2009/jobs-d05.shtml