Working With the President-Elect, and Holding Him Accountable

The election results are in, and the voters have spoken. In January, Donald Trump will take the oath of office as our country's 45th president.

President-Elect Donald Trump

The positions of both candidates were clear, and unions across the country had lined up behind Mrs. Clinton because of her support for organized labor and the issues we've always fought for.

Win or lose, in the United States our tradition is to support the person elected to the highest office in the land and give that person a chance to do the job. At the same time, the concept of a "loyal opposition" is to continue to advocate for the things you hold dear, while also holding elected officials accountable for their decisions while in office.

Immediately after the election, our national affiliate, North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU), issued a statement congratulating Mr. Trump on his victory. “After a long and sometimes divisive campaign, we echo the words of Mr. Trump and Secretary Clinton that the time has come for our nation to come together as one united people and to apply our collective energies in a non-partisan fashion in order to move our great nation forward," said the statement.
 
“Our nation has always been strong and resilient when it comes to government transition," it continued. "We have always been able to withstand contentious political discourse and debate. In every election, we accept the decision of the American electorate, and then we go about working to coalesce around our new President, not as Democrats and Republicans, but as Americans, and to begin the work of building an even brighter future for our country."

On the other side of the coin, Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, issued a statement right before Thanksgiving that reminded us of the "loyal opposition" role: "This election season we heard many promises of plenty—promises to create jobs, to raise wages, to protect working people from economic insecurity. Yet we know the business lobbyists are already making plans for how the Trump administration can cut working people’s wages, privatize Medicare and Social Security and attack workers’ rights on the job. This Thanksgiving, the labor movement reaffirms our commitment to hold America’s newly elected president accountable to the promises he made to working people."

We just witnessed a presidential election like none other our country, one that elected a candidate like none other before him. Like the NABTU, we wish him well and hope that he pursues policies that benefit American workers and their families. But also, like Mr. Trumka pointed out, we will continue to fight for the issues we believe in, and pledge to hold President Trump accountable for his promises, his decisions, and the results he produces for the American people.

The East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council is online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

Why Union Support for Hillary Clinton is Strong

As the 2016 Presidential campaign rolls along, labor unions across the country have been lining up in their support of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

It was significant earlier this year when the 700,000-member Communications Workers of America (CWA), at one time in favor of Sen. Bernie Sanders, recognized that the result of the primaries was that Mrs. Clinton would be the party’s nominee and announced their support of her candidacy.

“Whatever you think of Secretary Clinton — I happen to think she was a damn good senator from New York and that a lot of the hostility against her is attributable to out-and-out sexism and to the ‘vast right-wing conspiracy’ — she is the candidate who is running against Donald Trump,” said Chris Shelton, CWA president. “And brothers and sisters, we must stop Donald Trump from becoming president.”

This came on the heels of an earlier statement from leaders of more than 20 unions, representing more than 10 million workers, that affirmed their support for the former secretary of state.

“Secretary Clinton has proven herself as the fighter and champion working people and their families need in the White House,” read the statement. “That is why, of all unions endorsing a candidate in the Democratic primary, the vast majority of the membership in these unions has endorsed her.”

The statement was released on behalf of a number of large labor unions, including Service Employees International, the American Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.

As we reported previously, Mrs. Clinton has also earned the support of our national affiliate, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), as well as the AFL-CIO.

As the election nears, we encourage our members to support Hillary Clinton for President. Click here to learn her position on labor issues, as outlined on her campaignwebsite.

The East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council is online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

Summarizing the Problem with 'Right-to-Work'

(AFL-CIO graphic)

Since 2012, four states have adopted right-to-work laws: Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The danger, as the AFL-CIO has pointed out in an article on its website, is that by targeting unions and making them weaker, these laws lower wages and negatively affect living standards for workers.

The article points out that workers in right-to-work states earn almost $6,000 a year less than workers in other states. It also summarizes the case against right-to-work in a series of clear, documented points, pointing out that those states have:

• Lower wages and incomes
• Lower rates of health insurance coverage
• Higher poverty and infant mortality rates
• Less investment in education
• Higher workplace fatalities

In addition, states without right-to-work laws benefit from a higher tax base, which has the effect of improving the overall quality of life.

Review the entire summary on the AFL-CIO website. 

Review the Economic Policy Institute's research on right-to-work.

The East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council is online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.

NABTU, AFL-CIO Endorse Hillary Clinton for President

Hillary Clinton

As the Republican National Convention gets underway in Cleveland, and the Democratic National Convention approaches next week in Philadelphia, it's a good time to be reminded of the 2016 presidential endorsements of two leading union organizations.

First up was the endorsement announcement in December 2015 of North America's Building Trade Unions (NABTU). Long before she clinched her party's nomination, or a clear Republican front-runner was known, Democrat Hillary Clinton received the support of the NABTU.

"In these times of international strife and uncertainty, our nation needs a leader with the toughness, strength, intelligence and experience to successfully steer the United States through tumultuous waters," said Sean McGarvey, NABTU president. "Here at home, we trust that Secretary Clinton will always do what's best for America's working families."

In June, the General Board of the 12.5 million member AFL-CIO also voted to endorse Secretary Clinton.

"This election offers a stark choice between an unstoppable champion for working families and an unstable charlatan who made his fortune scamming them," said Lee Saunders, chair of the organization's Political Committee. "Working people know that Hillary Clinton has the temperament and experience to unite all Americans in our fight to increase incomes at home and extinghish threats abroad."

The presidential campaign will dominate the headlines over the next five months. As it does, these major union organizations will be campaigning hard for Secretary Clinton, and encouraging union members to do the same.

The East Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council is online at www.eastcentralohiobuildingtrades.com.