Labor Day is a time to reflect on and celebrate the hard work and indomitable spirit of workers that drive our economy. Throughout our nation's history, America's working families have led the fight to ensure workplace protections and fair wages and benefits. The labor movement brought us the 40-hour workweek, overtime pay, and workplace safety laws. So we should honor their efforts in both word and deed.
Sadly, however, there are few deeds for working families to celebrate. Under the Bush Administration, gas prices are up, real wages are down, inflation is on the rise, tax cuts for the wealthy few are bankrupting America, and workers have experienced unprecedented assaults on their rights. Five years of failed Republican policies that ignore the needs of working families have contributed to more than five million Americans slipping into poverty.
Both at home and abroad, Republicans have lowered standards for worker health and safety. Two years ago, the Department of Labor implemented new overtime pay rules that barred six million workers from receiving the overtime they deserve. The Bush Administration has implemented unprecedented changes to outsource the federal civil service. Outsourcing of governmental work removes institutional knowledge from the policy-making process, and could result in a more ineffective government, wasting taxpayer dollars and leaving behind those in need.
Republican control of the House, Senate and the White House has also resulted in trade agreements like the Central America Free Trade Agreement and the Oman Free Trade Agreement. These agreements export valuable American jobs to countries that blatantly ignore international labor standards, without at a minimum requiring these countries to abide by standards to protect their health or safety.
We cannot forget the political games the Republican Congress is playing with America's minimum wage. Time and time again the Republican Congress has blocked a straight up or down vote to increase the minimum wage for all workers. Most recently, Republicans loaded up the bill with tax breaks for special interests and the wealthy, including a $750 billion estate tax giveaway to benefit the 8,000 richest families in America.
The anti-worker policies of the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress have taken a toll on our economy and our families. America's working families need a new direction for their economic security - policies which protect workers' health and safety - not which undermine their rights and export their jobs.
Workers deserve legislation like the Employee Free Choice Act, which will simplify workplace organizing, provide more effective barriers against employer pressure and facilitate better contract negotiations. They also deserve an increase in the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. This should occur without more tax cuts for the wealthy and without carve outs for special interests.
Working families in America need a new direction for economic security. Future generations should understand the promise and enjoy the benefits that come with hard work and perseverance, not the empty promises today's workers are receiving. This Labor Day we should recognize workers and their rights, and together fight for a new direction for working families.