Obama Stands Up for Workers’ Rights in Powerful Speech

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.afscme.org/blog/obama-stands-up-for-workers-rights-in-powerful-speech

by Clyde Weiss | May 01, 2012

Pres. Barack Obama yesterday reiterated his support for collective bargaining during a speech to the AFL-CIO, referring to legislation that weakens it as ‘right-to-work-for-less laws.’

“I believe our economy is stronger when workers are getting paid good wages and good benefits,” he said. “I believe the economy is stronger when collective bargaining rights are protected.”

“When folks try and take collective bargaining rights away by passing so-called ‘right to work’ laws that might also be called ‘right-to-work-for-less,’ laws, that’s not about economics, that’s about politics,” he said.

President Obama also cited his decisions to reverse policies that undermined worker rights: “That’s why we passed the Fair Pay Act to help stop pay discrimination,” he said. “That’s why we’ve supported Davis-Bacon. That’s why we reversed the ban on Project Labor Agreements, because we believe in those things as part of a strategy to rebuild America.”

FULL story and more at link.

[bread_and_roses]

1. What year is it?

let's see - 08 ...09...oh, right! it's election year!

[lunatica]

2. Every single accomplishment Obama did was done this year and only to get re-elected

Oh wait! What?!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

5. so the media's said mostly nothing the past 4 years about these and other accomplishments

although they've spread plenty of negative lies and spin this whole time......


yeesh

[Jamaal510]

6. ...

http://www.alternet.org/story/154840/top_50_things_accomplished_by_president_barack_obama?page=entire

[pipoman]

3. Is this why they support continued

trade agreements with third world regimes with no worker protections in place and no requirements for participation to bring worker protections? Our unemployment status has less to do with the tragic death of collective bargaining in the US (even though this is a part of the problem) and more to do with incentives on the exportation of US jobs, agreeing away the ability to tariff goods produced by slaves, and giving tax incentives to companies who export US jobs and import slave goods. The labor party is dead..

[leftyohiolib]

4. that explains all the speeches about the need to pass the employee free choice act

oh wait

[Sherman A1]

8. Agreed

[uponit7771]

11. Wrong, it explains all the speeches about how lazy whiners need to get Obama a progressive congress

[xtraxritical]

12. PULL THAT DEMOCRATIC LEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reclaiming strong majorities in Congress should be the number one priority!

[leftyohiolib]

13. the congress he has didnt stop him from urging congress on student loan intrest rates or

the buffet rule or the jobs bill or the pyroll tax cut or the highway bill. he has the same congress and he urged all those things yet is strangly silent on helping unions. but youre correct it would help if people didnt sit out this election.

[bigtree]

7. Thanks for posting, OS.

[AnneD]

9. Actions talk....

BS walks. Where was he during Wisconsin? How much shoe leather did he expend? He speaks up for democracy and workers rights in every country but his own.

[JDPriestly]

10. With a strongly Democratic Senate and House, Obama could achieve a lot

in the area of labor law. Hopefully it would be good.

The right of American workers to assist in the organization of workers in another country and to participate in international movements that establish international labor standards including fair pay should be law.