UNION LEADERS OFFER SPLIT
REACTIONS TO OBAMA SPEECH
WASHINGTON (PAI)—Union leaders offered split reactions to Democratic President Barack Obama’s Jan. 25 State of the Union address, with several praising his calls for more infrastructure jobs, while others emphasized specific causes.
Comments from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka weren’t totally uncritical.
After saying unions “strongly support” the infrastructure construction plans “and good jobs” Obama called for in his speech, the federation leader said workers “are ready to work with him and hold him to his promises.”
“We look forward to comprehensive and substantial proposals to rebuild our nation’s schools, bridges, and highways and invest in high speed rail, a smart electrical grid, universal broadband and the green jobs of the future,” Trumka said, promising labor would lobby for bipartisan support for those goals.
The day after Obama’s speech, Trumka reiterated support for infrastructure work – in a joint statement with the head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Trumka parted ways with Obama’s call for Congress to approve trade deals with South Korea and other nations, and he opposed the 5-year freeze on spending for domestic programs. The freeze “will slow down job creation and growth,” he said.
The labor movement is split on the Korean deal, with the AFL-CIO, the Communications Workers and the Steelworkers still opposing it, while the Auto Workers and the United Food and Commercial Workers support it.
UAW says the revised Korean trade pact – with legislation implementing it subject to an up-or-down no-amendments vote – keeps tariffs on Korean cars and trucks for years, while letting U.S. vehicles into Korea. UFCW, whose members work in food processing firms, said the U.S.-Korea FTA would boost food exports and thus jobs.
CWA, however, said the Korea FTA does not protect workers against multi-national rapaciousness and the Steelworkers say it still does not tear down Korean trade barriers. Trumka restated the AFL-CIO’s opposition to the pact, for other reasons.
“Last-century trade deals that reward and encourage corporations that outsource American jobs will do little to generate net new jobs in the United States or raise living standards here or abroad,” he said. Obama should “stick to his campaign promises of reforming trade deals, so they do more than boost profits” for multi-nationals.
Other union leaders had other reactions:
Sheet Metal Workers President Mike Sullivan challenged Obama and Congress to follow through on Obama’s vision. “Momentum exists to advance a national innovation agenda that stands to benefit millions of union members. Now comes the hard part: What can the administration and Congress specifically do
to translate this into new jobs and a higher quality of life for working Americans?” he asked. Obama “did a great job of selling the need for a greater focus on innovation and competitiveness, but to do so we must identify which specific sectors and policy areas stand to have the greatest short and long-term impact here at home. In other words, where do America's working families have the most to gain?”
Service Employees President Mary Kay Henry said the problem isn’t Obama’s ideas, but GOP opposition. “Republicans are quick to dismiss job-creating investm
