Wed May 2, 2012, 07:26 AM

Obama Stands Up for Workers’ Rights in Powerful Speech

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.

13 replies, 1567 views

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13 replies	Author	Time	Post
Obama Stands Up for Workers’ Rights in Powerful Speech (Original post)	Omaha Steve	May 2012	OP
What year is it?	bread_and_roses	May 2012	#1
Every single accomplishment Obama did was done this year and only to get re-elected	lunatica	May 2012	#2
so the media's said mostly nothing the past 4 years about these and other accomplishments	BlancheSplanchnik	May 2012	#5
...	Jamaal510	May 2012	#6
Is this why they support continued	pipoman	May 2012	#3
that explains all the speeches about the need to pass the employee free choice act	leftyohiolib	May 2012	#4
Agreed	Sherman A1	May 2012	#8
Wrong, it explains all the speeches about how lazy whiners need to get Obama a progressive congress	uponit7771	May 2012	#11
PULL THAT DEMOCRATIC LEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!	xtraxritical	May 2012	#12
the congress he has didnt stop him from urging congress on student loan intrest rates or	leftyohiolib	May 2012	#13
Thanks for posting, OS.	bigtree	May 2012	#7
Actions talk....	AnneD	May 2012	#9
With a strongly Democratic Senate and House, Obama could achieve a lot	JDPriestly	May 2012	#10

Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed May 2, 2012, 07:38 AM

bread_and_roses (5,539 posts)

1. What year is it?

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

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Response to bread_and_roses (Reply #1)

Wed May 2, 2012, 07:42 AM

lunatica (28,852 posts)

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

Last edited Wed May 2, 2012, 07:45 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

Oh wait! What?!

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Response to bread_and_roses (Reply #1)

Wed May 2, 2012, 08:34 AM

BlancheSplanchnik (7,705 posts)

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

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Response to bread_and_roses (Reply #1)

Wed May 2, 2012, 08:36 AM

Jamaal510 (3,172 posts)

6. ...

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

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed May 2, 2012, 07:42 AM

pipoman (10,400 posts)

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..

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed May 2, 2012, 07:44 AM

leftyohiolib (3,130 posts)

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

oh wait

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Response to leftyohiolib (Reply #4)

Wed May 2, 2012, 08:41 AM

Sherman A1 (11,559 posts)

8. Agreed

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Response to leftyohiolib (Reply #4)

Wed May 2, 2012, 11:51 AM

uponit7771 (16,153 posts)

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

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Response to uponit7771 (Reply #11)

Wed May 2, 2012, 11:56 AM

xtraxritical (2,985 posts)

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

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

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Response to uponit7771 (Reply #11)

Wed May 2, 2012, 12:33 PM

leftyohiolib (3,130 posts)

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.

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed May 2, 2012, 08:37 AM

bigtree (49,261 posts)

7. Thanks for posting, OS.

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed May 2, 2012, 09:53 AM

AnneD (14,860 posts)

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.

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Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Wed May 2, 2012, 10:47 AM

JDPriestly (37,760 posts)

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.

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