Labor Day 2007

Labor Day is a time to reflect on the valuable contributions working people have made to our nation. Working men and women are the bedrock of our economy, and they have been at the heart of nearly every movement for social justice and civil rights in America. It is fitting, therefore, that we set a day aside for recognizing the American worker, whose energy, creativity and dedication has contributed so much to our freedom and prosperity.

Yet, as we celebrate the holiday, we must also acknowledge the unsettled state of our nation. It is not a good time for workers, and American families are struggling more than ever just to get by.

From the time George Bush was appointed by the Supreme Court in 2000, college tuition has shot up 56 percent. The cost of gasoline has gone up 107 percent. Forty-seven million Americans -- nearly 16 percent of our nation -- don't have health insurance. Almost 37 million Americans live below the poverty line. Corporate profits have gone up, while income for working Americans has gone down. Home foreclosures are increasing at a record rate. Pensions are at risk as employers break their promises to employees. Bush's tax cuts have not benefited those most in need of them -- working families -- but the billionaires who are his loyal supporters.

The fact is that the people whose labor has fueled our nation's economy have suffered greatly under George Bush.

If Bush truly appreciated working people and understood the challenges their families face, he would have raised the federal minimum wage for 13 million low income workers without making tax breaks for business a part of the deal. He would have compassion for those who work two or three jobs to feed their families and he would be ashamed that the number of Americans living in poverty has increased by 5.4 million since he became president.

He would support the Employee Free Choice Act to give the millions of workers who want to join a union the freedom to do so without employer intimidation. He would applaud unions for creating America's middle class and do everything in his power to strengthen the labor movement.

He would expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program in order to cover more of the 9 million kids who don't have insurance. He would realize the hypocrisy of standing in the way of providing more children with access to health care, when his own family has never had to do without treatment for an illness or injury.

And he would end his misguided war in Iraq, a war that has sacrificed nearly 3,700 of our soldiers and diverted resources that could have been used to build up our nation. He would use all the tools at his disposal to make our communities safe, improve our schools, restore and revitalize New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast, and rebuild our aging infrastructure.

The good news is that the current Congress has accomplished more for working families in just eight months than President Bush has in nearly seven years. Congress raised the federal minimum wage for the first time in a decade. The House of Representatives passed the Employee Free Choice Act, although anti-worker Senators voted against it. And Congress is fighting the cuts in domestic programs -- including education, child care, Medicare, Medicaid and employment training -- that Bush has proposed in his budget. None of that would be happening if not for our efforts to change America's direction and elect new leaders in 2006. We will continue that process next year.

Last Labor Day, President Bush proclaimed that the working people of America "build better lives for themselves and their families and make America stronger." In 2008, when we elect a President who stands with working families instead of against them, we will make those words ring true.

Comments

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

We need to change the meaning of labor day. As citizens, we have to get off our collective butts, turn off American Idol and PARTICIPATE in this democracy, or what's left of it. We need to commit our efforts and labor to clean house in Washington.

We need to labor with the candidate of our choice for president.....John Edwards, I sincerely hope.

We need to labor in the soup kitchens and missions in our own home towns. Labor with Toys for Tots this holiday season. Labor by being a Big Brother or Sister.

We need to labor to elect candidates who will make every attempt to turn this country around and point it in the right direction (which is 180 degrees away from where it is today).

We need to labor to ensure that religion and politics do not merge. Will Rogers once said: "mixing religion and politics is like mixing ice cream and manure. It doesn't do much to the manure, but it sure does ruin the ice cream".

JFK, MLK, RFK - all gone. It's up to us to make a difference.

[BBackSoon]

Nice post. Should we be concerned that each of those named at the end were shot?

[Desiderata]

The unions need to wake up. too, RobertArend. The split of a number of those unions from the AFL-CIO only encouraged the anti-worker party to alter decades of labor rights to benefit the GlobalCorps.

The truth is a nationwide strike of all the unionized workforce is needed to restore those rights. Small random strikes have been, for the most part, failures.

There is reasonable fear of the consequences of strikes by workers. But many made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in the early part of the last century for all the benefits of job security, healthcare and pensions we took for granted for too long; while we grumbled about the fraction of our pay that went to union dues.

"Solidarity Forever" is a meaningless slogan if we're too busy fighting among ourselves instead of focusing our rage against those who have sought our demise since Clintonian NAFTA.

The only Presidential candidate that doesn't choke on the word "union" is John Edwards. Those $400 haircuts and his multi-million dollar house are just distractions from the heart of a man who came from poverty, as a lot of us did. It is just he has never forgotten what that struggle was like, while so many of us have.

[WorkingClass]

Not just union workers. A national strike of ALL WORKERS. Labor unions are a good thing. But they are useless without the constitution. What America needs now is a Labor Party.

[indypete]

Couragous thing to say. I hope our kids and grandkids get to see it. Won't happen in my lifetime, I'm already at double nickels.

[Silverstar]

Most of the unions that left the AFL-CIO did so because they believed that the AFL-CIO spent too much time on politics, and not enough on organizing. I have been watching unions erode for about 40 years now, and much of it because, like Wal-Mart, they got too big, and didn't address the problems of most of their members. The AFL-CIO has presided over most of the erosion of union power. Many of its officers are in the back pockets of the corporations.
I've watched companies break strikes by just closing up plants for 40 years. A bunch of unions leaving the AFL-CIO didn't have a lot to do with where we are today. The philosophy of George W. Bush, and all his ancestors, had more to do with it.

[Tommymac]

Great post Desiderata.

I just read how Condi denigrated a sales clerk - very Marie Antoinette of her. I contrast this with Mr. Edwards climb to the top...the former forgot her roots...the latter has built on them.

It's time to re-invigorate the 'class war' ... so we can once again work to eliminate the attitude of selfishness this country has developed since Reagan. And once again build a strong Middle Class.

[RobertArend]

George Bush, jr, cares only for "the haves and the have mores" that he said are his true constituents. Only a miracle that humbles him will ever change his contempt for the billions of those who live outside of his privleged class. He has been incredibly sucessful by sticking to a viewpoint that most of the masses are little different from herds of cattle and just as dumb and expendable.

Why so many struggling workers in this nation gave him 8 years to smirk down on us while he destroyed not only our opportunities to good jobs to raise our children, but robbed us of our security in our retirement years, I just cannot understand.

We were once a great and respected nation. As a people, we have awakened, hopefully not too late, to just what this shameless man actually stood for.

While America slept, the dream of the United States of America was turned into a nightmare.

__two hats

[docangel]

What a superb summary of what a good president of this country would be doing for the majority of its citizens! You have very eloquently voiced my feelings as well. Thank you.

[flatus]

Gerald, your blog smacks of Socialism. Good job!