(White House photo)
The response from unions and other labor-related groups to President Obama's jobs speech was overwhelmingly positive, with many aspects of Obama's proposals singled out for praise. There was widespread acknowledgement, though, of the fight ahead and the certainty of Republican refusal to take action to create jobs and boost the economy.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka:
The President took an important and necessary step tonight: he started a serious national conversation about how to solve our jobs crisis. He showed working people that he is willing to go to the mat to create new jobs on a substantial scale. Tonight's speech should energize the nation to come together, work hard and get serious about jobs.
National Education Association:
“Tonight, President Obama delivered a simple and powerful message to Congress and to the American people—it’s time to put partisan bickering aside and get our country back to work. There is nothing more urgent for Congress to act on than this plan to create jobs and boost our economy and create opportunity for the nation’s children. Our members are behind this initiative and will raise their voices in support to Congress, who will hopefully put politics aside and make passing this its priority,” said [NEA President Dennis] Van Roekel.
Alliance for American Manufacturing Executive Director Scott Paul:
The President is right about two things: We must invest in America's infrastructure and the time for action is now. We hope Congress will swiftly approve a sizable and sustained infrastructure bill. Such an action would begin to rebuild America, make our economy more efficient and our businesses more competitive, and boost the demand for manufactured materials like steel. Most importantly, it would create good-paying jobs.
In a press release, SEIU President Mary Kay Henry stated:
“Tonight, President Obama displayed the leadership America needs by laying out a strong agenda to get America back to work. The proposals he outlined are an excellent starting point in the crucial effort to create good jobs now.
“Now, it’s in Congress’s hands. The American people are watching closely to see whether Republicans will play politics with tonight’s commonsense proposals simply because of the messenger, not the merits, of the plan to turn around the national jobs crisis. The Republicans’ plan to further cut corporate taxes will do nothing to put Americans back to work, just as the recent record corporate profits have not lead to job growth.
Communications Workers of America:
It’s very important that the President tonight acknowledged the need for real collective bargaining rights for workers. We’ll never move forward to economic recovery if we don’t increase demand, and that only happens when workers have bargaining rights to improve their wages and working conditions. If we’re looking for a real, long term fix for our economy, this is it."
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United Food and Commercial Workers President Joseph Hansen
National Employment Law Project
