Labor Day News and Notes

Barack Obama gave a great speech at the ALF-CIO picnic. He spoke about what every American, and certainly every union brother or sister should know, that many of the rights and privileges that every American enjoys were built on the backs of the labor movement. To quote Barack, “So let us never forget: much of what we take for granted-the 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, health insurance, paid leave, pensions, Social Security, Medicare-they all bear the union label. It was the American worker-union men and women-who returned from World War II to make our economy the envy of the world. It was labor that helped build the largest middle class in history. So even if you're not a union member, every American owes something to America's labor movement.” I also like what he said about the current health care system in regards to labor negotiations, “And we know what that future looks like (without health care reform). Insurance companies raking in the profits while discriminating against people because of pre-existing conditions and denying or dropping coverage when you get sick. It means you're never negotiating about higher wages, because you're spending all your time just protecting the benefits you already have.” That is certainly the truth. I have observed in our contract negotiations that fighting to keep our health benefits intact sucks the air right out of the room, leaving no room for any real wage increases. So wages stay stagnant, the cost of living goes up, and we fall further behind. Barack is right when he says that the American dream is slipping away for many. A strengthened labor movement can bring it back. Read or watch the speech here: Obama Labor Day Speech

The full video of the speech is at the end of the text.