First time a President has uttered these words since 1936. Want a good job? Join a union.

[octoberlib]

by Robert Reich



In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “If I were a factory worker, I’d join a union.” No president has uttered those words since – at least not until yesterday, when President Obama told a Labor Day gathering, “if I were looking for a good job that lets me build some security for my job, I’d join a union. If I were busting my butt in the service industry and wanted an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work, I’d join a union.” Obama also endorsed the “Fight for $15” fast-food worker’s movement, which is planning strikes Thursday in 150 cities.

Whether through unionization or legislation raising the minimum wage, or both, the movement is growing. Thirteen states have raised their minimum wage since January 1st. According to a new report from the Labor Department, job growth in these states has been faster this year than in states that didn’t raise their minimums. That's because raising the minimum puts more money into the pockets of people who will spend it, thereby creating jobs. Low-wage workers deserve a raise. It's good for them and good for the economy.


https://www.facebook.com/RBReich

[NYC_SKP]

1. I love me a president who actually supports unions and the average worker. Especially in 2016.

We're gonna need a bigger candidate.

[octoberlib]

2. Agree.

[madfloridian]

3. Except teachers' unions

Lawsuits against teachers' unions are the new reform tactic....Arne supports this process that strips teachers of due process rights.

http://dianeravitch.net/2014/06/10/arne-duncan-hails-vergara-decision/

I have not been able to figure why other unions are fine with Democrats....just not teachers' unions.

[octoberlib]

6. I don't get this either. Democrats like to claim that their assaults on

due process aren't union-busting , but they most definitely are. I will never understand the Arne Duncan appointment. Ever. I think most of it has to do with campaign contributions.

[Blue Idaho]

11. Ditto...

The systematic attack on teachers' rights is the most un-Democratic thing I've seen in a very long time. Teachers - once a loyal Democratic voting block - are asking themselves why they are being treated like punching bags by this President and is hand selected public education dismantler Arne Duncan.

This retired teacher, staunch union advocate, and life long Democrat hates what this president and his sycophants have done to education. If this is the modern face of the Democratic Party I am both ashamed and embarrassed.

[ieoeja]

25. I think Obama believes Arne Duncan is Paul Vallas.

Vallas led an effort that greatly improved Chicago schools. Then he left, and Arne Duncan took over. I find that a lot of people in Chicago have forgotten that it was Vallas, not Duncan, who did so much good at the CPS.

------------------

Also, propaganda works. It doesn't just work on the masses. It works among the elite as well. A lot of them have heard their entire life that "our schools are failing" with the test results to prove it.

For decades Americans led the world at inventiveness. But that entire time we were merely average on the standardized tests compared to other countries. That made it easy for anyone wanting to tear down our schools to paint our schools as failing. People not wanting their money spent to educate the children of other people could use those test scores as proof that the expense was being wasted. It gave an opening to aspiring politicians looking for an issue on which to run.

So we turned our real success into a faux failure. Until we decided to do something about it. Now we're turning our real success into a real failure.

[KamaAina]

33. But Arne has a much better jump shot.

[octoberlib]

47. +1

[progressoid]

14. The hatred toward teachers and their unions is baffling.

Especially from "Democrats".

[leftstreet]

18. +1 Privatize Privatize Privatize

Gazillions of working class tax dollars simply MUST be diverted to private profiteers! Keeping investors away from that public money trough is downright abusive!

[Starry Messenger]

27. +1

I'm glad he said what he said, but geeze. Teachers don't get to feel unvarnished joy about it, sad.

[yodermon]

4. MORE LIKE THIS Mr President.

E.g., walking shoes?
Credit where due though.

[earthside]

7. Must be campaign season.

Talk is cheap, President Obama.

Funny how he gets all rhetorically pro-union just before an election.
In my judgement, Pres. Obama has been the least pro-union Democratic president since before FDR

[geek tragedy]

16. Worse than Clinton? nt

[WorseBeforeBetter]

28. Two months before the midterms, and he'd join a union.

Uh-huh.

[babylonsister]

48. Last I checked, he's not running for anything, and

a lot of Dems are running away from him. So your remark makes no sense. But carry on.

[Scuba]

5. Excellent, Mr. President, excellent!

[Javaman]

8. About freaking time. nt

[Thinkingabout]

9. After 1936 life became better for the middle class, giving decent salaries is not bad for the US.

Not having a living wage is very bad, if the middle class does not have money the economy will not do very well. Now that we have gone the Republican way, went broke lets restart by doing what made the US strong for many years, until Reagan got his wish and broke the air traffic controllers, the dominos started falling. We lost a lot of the very strong union leaders, Joe Beirne, President of the CWA passed away Labor Day 1974, labor unions was very important to him, he knew how to fight the fight for better wages, benefits and working conditions.

[brer cat]

10. +1000 nt

[mahatmakanejeeves]

12. Eisenhower said:

Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Quotes

Labor

I have no use for those — regardless of their political party — who hold some foolish dream of spinning the clock back to days when unorganized labor was a huddled, almost helpless mass.

Speech to the American Federation of Labor, New York City, 9/17/52

Today in America unions have a secure place in our industrial life. Only a handful of unreconstructed reactionaries harbor the ugly thought of breaking unions. Only a fool would try to deprive working men and women of the right to join the union of their choice.

Speech to the American Federation of Labor, New York City, 9/17/52

Government can do a great deal to aid the settlement of labor disputes without allowing itself to be employed as an ally of either side. Its proper role in industrial strife is to encourage the process of mediation and conciliation.

State of the Union Message, Washington, DC, 2/2/53

[stevenleser]

30. Eisenhower was the last Republican President who really cared about this country and the people

in it.

[antigop]

13. so, Mr. President, where is that "card check" bill???? Are you still pushing for it?

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/112613-obama-says-hell-keep-on-fighting-to-pass-card-check-bill

President Obama told the AFL-CIO on Wednesday that he would "keep on fighting" to pass the controversial "card check" bill.

Obama said during a speech to the labor group's executive committee meeting that he continued to support the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA, or "card check&quot among the litany of proposals he favors to help workers.

"[W]e're going to keep on fighting to pass the Employee Free Choice Act," Obama told the union.

"Getting EFCA through Senate is going to be tough. It’s always been tough; it will continue to be tough. We’ll keep on pushing," he said.

[Unvanguard]

15. EFCA hasn't the slightest chance of passage with a Republican-controlled House.

And there will be a Republican-controlled House for the remainder of Obama's term.

[antigop]

22. READ THE ARTICLE! nt

[Unvanguard]

24. Your article is from August 2010, when the Democrats still had a House majority.

It describes Obama reaffirming his commitment to EFCA and notes, correctly, that the obstacle was the fact that EFCA supporters did not have the 60 votes to bypass a filibuster. I'm not sure what you're driving at with your reply post; with the House under Republican control and the Senate having a much-diminished Democratic majority (likely to be lost next January), EFCA passage has moved from unlikely to clearly impossible.

[antigop]

31. yeah, he and the Dems really fought for it, didn't they? That's the point. nt

[Unvanguard]

36. It's well known that Obama has a button hidden in the White House

dictating how members of Congress vote.

I share your astonishment at his failure to make more assiduous use of this capability.

[Maedhros]

39. Effective presidents have been known in the past to whip the votes they need from their Party. [n/t]

[Unvanguard]

43. Not really. Most people underestimate presidential power over Congress.

Both today and historically. Members of Congress rise and fall on their relationship with their districts, not their relationship with the President. Famous supposed masters of Congress like LBJ actually benefited from Congressional majorities that were friendly to their agendas, not amazing talents at political manipulation. And even the tools that once were available are weaker now, as voting gets more ideological and is less manipulable through earmarks and the like.

[antigop]

40. it's well known that he and the Dems didn't really "fight" for it as promised. Thanks for proving

my point!

[Unvanguard]

45. If you want EFCA to pass, you should lobby your members of Congress.

Send them letters, emails, phone calls. Get everyone you know to do the same. If they're Republicans and not persuadable (which will be the case for nearly all Republicans), fight hard to get them out of office.

Maybe you've done this already. If so, good for you! But it's an uphill battle with a bill like EFCA, which is easy to demonize and is opposed by powerful interests. So the work continues as we wait for a better set of political circumstances.

Obama already meets the relevant "ask." If EFCA gets to his desk, he'll sign it. To the extent his view matters as a cue as to what the "Democratic position" is on the bill, he's been clear about his position. But if you want a member of Congress to support a bill he or she is ideologically inclined to oppose, or to support a bill he or she wants to support but fears the political consequences of supporting, constituent input is more likely to have an effect than presidential messaging.

[antigop]

46. oh, dear lord....you keep proving my point! Thanks! nt

[geek tragedy]

17. Are you familiar with how a bill becomes law? nt

[antigop]

21. Did you read the article I posted? I guess not. nt

[ieoeja]

26. Do you realize that you are not making a lick of sense? n/t

[geek tragedy]

29. From August 2010 about efforts to pass it in the Senate

I ask again, are you familiar with how a bill becomes law? Are you aware of anything that happened since August 2010 that might prevent the President from pushing hard to pass that bill in the Senate?

[antigop]

32. yeah, he and the Dems "fought" really hard for it, didn't they? Sure they did. Yep.

NOT!

[geek tragedy]

34. I repeat, are you familiar with how a bill

becomes law?

[antigop]

35. I repeat...he and the Dems "fought" really hard for it, didn't they? Sure they did. nt

[geek tragedy]

37. Do you realize legislation passes by vote totals

not fist fights?

4 Democrats early on announced they would filibuster with Republicans.

[antigop]

38. LOL! Yep. He "fought"" really hard, didn't he? Thanks for proving my point! nt

[geek tragedy]

42. You seem to think that the sole factor

that determines whether a bill passes the Senate is whether the President FIGHTS for it.

[antigop]

44. LOL! Go back and read my post. You keep proving my point! That's OK. Keep proving my point!

[leftstreet]

19. Low wage unions good - public education unions bad

What a joke

[Laelth]

20. k&r for labor. n/t

-Laelth

[Peacetrain]

23. Most excellent!

[TBF]

41. Now that's the kind of stuff he should be saying!

K&R