Employee Free Choice Act Backers Out by the Hundreds of Thousands This Summer
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More than 150,000 union members and supporters turned out for events, rallies, parades and picnics in recent days, to show their support for the Employee Free Choice Act, federal legislation that would level the playing field for workers seeking to form unions and bargain for a better life.
In a letter to the Baton Rouge Advocate, Michael Day, a member of the Plumbers and Pipe Fitters (UA) in Louisiana, writes that in the face of more than 25,000 acts of discrimination against employees trying to form a union every year, Congress must pass the Employee Free Choice Act:
I can’t understand a good Democrat having a problem supporting a bill such as the Employee Free Choice Act that levels the playing field between employees and corporations and puts the choice of joining or not joining a union in the hands of working men and women.
I voted for change that I could believe in, not change that I can’t notice.
Obama Tells AFL-CIO He’s ‘Fired Up’ for Health Care, Rebuilding America
Saying he was “fired up and ready to go,” President Obama challenged working people to join in building a future of prosperity out of the nation’s economic mess. The president vowed to pass health care reform, reaffirmed support for the Employee Free Choice Act and laid out a plan to rebuild the middle class.
Speaking at the 23rd annual Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council Labor Day picnic, Obama reminded the crowd of nearly 5,000 that in tough times, America’s working men and women are ready to roll up their sleeves and get back to work. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka joined Obama in the Queen City.
Trumka told the crowd in Cincinnati:
This is a unique moment in American history—and we can make it labor’s moment. This can be our moment to build the labor movement we need to create the country we want: …A nation where every worker has a job with a future and where all of us can step into the winner’s circle.
Why Labor Day Matters
Kent Wong, director of the UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education, says this Labor Day provides an opportunity for progressives to join together to rebuild the economy and reinvigorate the fight for social and economic justice.
Labor Day is a time to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of working people throughout the generations. American workers are among the most productive in the world. Labor unions have been a positive social force that helped to build the American middle class, to improve wages and working conditions, to provide for health care and retirement benefits, and to ensure that the wealth generated by working people is fairly distributed.
But Labor Day 2009 finds the U.S. economy in the worst recession in decades. Bank failures, corporate downsizing, the mortgage crisis and tremendous economic insecurity are signs of the times. The United States has lost more than 6 million jobs, and more than 45 million Americans are without health care.
The economic policies of the Bush administration brought us to where we are today. I would summarize the policies of the Bush administration as the “three D’s”—deregulation, deindustrialization and deunionization.
On Labor Day Obama Says Workers Will Lead Us Out of Economic Crisis
In his first official Labor Day proclamation, President Obama praised America’s workers and made it clear workers will pull the nation out of its economic crisis and “lead us into a new era of prosperity and progress.”
In the proclamation, Obama says:
Working Americans… have carried the nation through times of challenge and uncertainty and propelled America through eras of peace and prosperity. They have long formed the backbone of our nation’s economy, and they will continue to lead our nation to new heights in the years to come.
Obama is showing his commitment to working people by spending Labor Day at the Cincinnati AFL-CIO’s 23rd Annual Labor Day picnic, the largest event of its kind in the country. In a typical year the picnic draws in 15,000 to 20,000 people. Bill Clinton and Al Gore attended the picnic in 1992.
In his proclamation, the president also praised the union movement for giving ”voice to the aspirations and concerns of millions of men and women.”
By fighting for decent working conditions, as well as fair wages and benefits, organized labor has stood for the rights of everyday Americans. With determination and commitment, labor has advocated for all working families and all have benefited of their struggles.
This Labor Day, as we honor our workers, and we renew our commitment to uphold the American Dream and the founding promise of our nation: in America, we can make of our lives what we will, and all things are possible for all people.
As Labor Day Nears, Looking at the State of the Union Movement
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Today, along with the release of the AFL-CIO’s report, “Young Workers: A Lost Decade,” AFL-CIO leaders are taking a close look at where the union movement has come in recent years and where we need to go. With difficult fights ahead to create an economy that works for everyone, union members and allies around the country must continue to mobilize and educate so that we can reform health insurance, ensure job creation and pass the Employee Free Choice Act.
In a wide-ranging press conference today, the AFL-CIO’s top officers talked about their priorities and the future of the union movement. It’s a critical moment and an opportunity to rebuild a stronger, fairer economy.
As AFL-CIO President John Sweeney stated, we need to be fighting as hard to pass legislation on health care, the economy and the freedom to form unions as we did during the election:
It’s been an energizing year for working families…but it’s also been a hard one. For years we worked against the loss of health care, the loss of manufacturing jobs, the refusal to put any brakes on corporate greed and the refusal of our government to support working people under President Bush. The Bush legacy is devastating.
‘Young Workers: A Lost Decade’
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Something bad happened in the past 10 years to young workers in this country: Since 1999, more of them now have lower-paying jobs, if they can get a job at all; health care is a rare luxury and retirement security is something for their parents, not them. In fact, many—younger than 35—still live at home with their parents because they can’t afford to be on their own.
These are the findings of a new report, “Young Workers: A Lost Decade.” Conducted in July 2009 by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the AFL-CIO and our community affiliate Working America, the nationwide survey of 1,156 people follows up on a similar survey the AFL-CIO conducted in 1999. The deterioration of young workers’ economic situation in those 10 years is alarming.
Nate Scherer, 31, is among today’s young workers. Scherer lives in Columbus, Ohio, where he shares a home with his wife, his parents, brother and his partner. He spoke at a media conference at the AFL-CIO today to discuss the report.
After getting married, my wife and I decided to move in with my parents to pay off our bills. We could afford to live on our own but we’d never be able to get out of debt. We have school loans to pay off, too. We’d like to have children, but we just can’t manage the expense of it right now…so we’re putting it off till we’re in a better place. My [work] position is on the edge, and I feel like if my company were to cut back, my position would be one of the first to go.
Take Part in Labor in the Pulpits this Labor Day Weekend
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Each Labor Day weekend, Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) and the AFL-CIO sponsor the Labor in the Pulpits /on the Bimah /in the Minbar program, which highlights the shared goals of the faith community and the union movement for a new vision for justice in our communities.
As part of Labor in the Pulpits, union members serve as guest speakers in congregations to speak out about their faith, work and the union movement. Some AFL-CIO central labor councils use this program as an opportunity to host a Faith and Labor meeting in which participants discuss important issues facing workers in their local communities and reaffirm their shared commitments to social justice. This year, more than 1,000 faith congregations are participating in Labor in the Pulpits.
Over the years, the Labor in the Pulpits program has helped thousands of congregations focus their Labor Day weekend services on the injustices facing low-wage workers and the religious community’s efforts to support those workers’ struggles for living wages and family-sustaining benefits.
Across the Country, Celebrating Labor Day with a Call to Action
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From California to Maine and everywhere in between, union members and allies will celebrate Labor Day by taking action to make the nation work for everyone again—which means taking action on the economy, health care and the Employee Free Choice Act.
Congress is nearing the end of a monthlong recess, during which thousands of union members and a broad coalition of supporters around the country have been rallying, calling, writing letters and letting their elected leaders know that Employee Free Choice must be a top priority. This Labor Day weekend, Sept. 5-7, they’ll make that message heard at more than 180 public events.
In a message to union members, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney says Labor Day marks a critical moment for union members and working families—despite the economic crisis, there’s a chance to make real change and improve people’s lives.
Great Quotes: ‘Only a Fool’ Would Block Workers from Unions
As Labor Day approaches, here are some great quotes reinforcing the value of unions to our nation. A big thumbs-up to Ramona for her blog on TPM, which includes quotes from leaders as diverse as Dwight Eisenhower, Clarence Darrow and Pope John Paul II.
Eisenhower sounds like he is endorsing the Employee Free Choice Act:
Only a fool would try to deprive working men and women of the right to join the union of their choice.
