By Suzia van Swol-University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service
At an event unveiling the “Faces of the Employee Free Choice Act” campaign, Actor Martin Sheen says that it is no secret that all too often workers are treated poorly when they try to gain a voice in the work place. (1:54)
By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service
Today Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) addressed the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Legislative Conference about the importance of collective bargaining. Pelosi awed at “what a difference an election makes” in addressing workers’ rights as well as their right to organize. Union representatives said that the Obama Administration is much friendlier to unions than the Bush Administration was, and is looking forward to the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Pelosi hammered home her commitment to that bill, and highlighted how the Economic Recovery Package provided billions of dollars to help prevent job loss in the public safety sector.
Also speaking at the event was Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), who showcased his support for the Fire Fighter Fatality Reduction Act. The proposed law would set national requirements at fire stations for staffing, training, and equipment, moves that Lieberman believes will save lives. Additionally, Lieberman said he supports a national credentialing program for fire fighters, to make sure those responding to emergencies are properly trained to meet the national requirements he hopes are created.
Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) talked to the crowd about the Federal Firefighter Fairness Act, which would create a “rebuttable presumption” that certain diseases contracted by fire fighters are “job related”, and thus subject to compensation programs. Collins said that this would apply to federal fire fighters, because it was “fundamentally unfair” that federal fire fighters would not be able to receive the same health protection as those on the state and local level.
Both Collins and Lieberman spoke in support the right of workers to bargain collectively.
Vice President Joseph Biden is scheduled to speaker later today at the event.
by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Sevice
According to a report titled “Unions Are Good for the American
Economy” released by the Center for American Progress Action Fund,
unions would significantly help every American now during the economic
crisis.
“Workers in Unions earn 30% higher wages taking home about $863 a week
compared to $663 for the typical non-union worker.” said Robert B.
Reich, Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public
Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and former
Secretary of Labor for President Bill Clinton. Reich also said that the
report shows that union workers are 59% more likely to have employer
provided health insurance as well.
According to the report, unions help workers achieve higher wages said
Karla Walter, the Policy Analyst with the American Worker Project at
American Progress. “We found when we controlled for factors like race,
age, and education level we were able to quantify the union
difference. What we found is that unionized workers wages on average
were 11.3% higher than non-unionized workers with similar
characteristics… That translates to $2.26 up per hour more.” she said.
Walter stated that non-union workers would also benefit because their
employers would be likely to raise wages in response to fears that if
they don’t raise wages their employees would unionize. “The Employee
Free choice Act is not only important because it makes it harder for
anti union companies to harass workers attempting to unionize and
break the law but it also provides a very important economic benefit.
Boosting unionization rates will improve millions of Americans
economic standing, it will provide the families who have union jobs to
pass to the middle class and it will pump billions of dollars into the
economy ever year.” Walter concluded.
Sen. Hillary Clinton says that this country needs a labor movement to overcome the challenges of the 21st century, and that labor and union negotiations help to raise the standard of living for everyone. (0:35)
Presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton spoke today at the Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) 2008 Legislative Conference, where the BCTD celebrated a “century of leadership.” She told the participants to think of the election as a hiring decision, and the primary as a long job interview.
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House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) says at the 100th annual legislative convention of the Building and Construction Trades Department that 2008 is a change election, and Americans have to choose between moving forward or “staying the course.” (0:22)
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) addressed a crowd at the 100th annual legislative conference of the Building and Construction Trades Department and said that unions built the “strongest, most prosperous middle class history has ever seen” yet they do not often receive credit for this. He also points out that union membership is at its lowest level since the Great Depression. (0:34)
The Building and Construction Trades Department held the first of its three-day 100th annual Legislative Conference with over 3,000 union leaders from around the country. President Mark Ayers addressed the crowd and introduced guest speakers, urging the audience to support whichever Democratic candidate becomes the presidential nominee and ignore the “shameless distortions, falsehoods, and fear-mongering” of the “conservative political playbook.” He claimed that “the America we know and love, the America we have and will defend, deserves better than John McCain.”
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At the CWA Conference, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) says when she will provide health care to every Americans, no “ifs, ands or buts,” and this is a big difference in this campaign. I have a plan for Universal Health Care. John Edwards had a plan for Universal Health care, but Senator Obama does not. It’s a core democratic value that the Democratic party nominate someone who will go “toe to toe” with John McCain on the issue of Universal Health Care. “What do we stand for,” she says, “if we don’t stand for Universal Health Care?” (:29)
At the CWA Conference, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) says she was somewhat surprised to hear that Senator McCain said he would put privatizing Social Security “back on the table.” Well, she says, there’s not going to be any chance of that happening when I’m president. We’re going to strengthen Social Security so that we can count on it far into the future. (:25)
