"Commentary"-What Labor Wants From The Next President
Wednesday, October 15, 2008SUZANNE PRATT: With the presidential election just 20 days away, we continue our special series of election commentaries, looking at the candidates' economic choices. Tonight, John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO weights in on what labor wants from the next president.
JOHN SWEENEY, PRESIDENT, AFL-CIO: There couldn't be more at stake for working families in this year's election. Today's financial crisis is rocking Wall Street and Main Street. The stock market's tumble has wiped out $2 trillion in Americans' retirement savings. More than 760,000 Americans have lost their jobs this year. But this crisis didn't develop overnight. In fact, the roots are decades deep, reflecting an elitism that was built into our economic rules. These rules favor corporate profits and Wall Street over working people. Over the last several decades, America's workers set records for productivity, yet wages have stayed low. In part this is because big business has brutalized workers who have tried to win better wages and benefits by forming unions. And without strong unions, there is no real counterweight to corporate greed. America's workers can't afford another day of the Bush economic policies. And there's no question that this is the most important election in our lifetimes. Our very future and our children's futures are at stake. That's why I believe Americans will make history this November and turn our nation around
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