Labor secretary talks up unions

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Daily Herald

By LYDIA DEPILLIS

WASHINGTON — For most of President Barack Obama’s tenure, the White House and the nation’s labor movement have been anything but best friends.

Unions were disappointed when the administration refused to restructure banks during the financial crisis. They were exasperated by its unwillingness to protect union members’ gold-plated health-care plans in the Affordable Care Act. Labor was angered by Obama’s support for for sweeping free-trade agreements and his delay in deciding whether to approve the Keystone XL pipeline.

But on Monday, Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez sounded a much different note.

Perez, who has emerged as one of the leading contenders to replace outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder Jr., began remarks at the National Press Club with what seemed to be a boilerplate narrative extolling the White House’s contributions to economic progress.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://columbiadailyherald.com/news/business/labor-secretary-talks-unions

[Ed Suspicious]

1. Is it lip-service season again already? My how the election cycles fly.

Say it with actions. We shall know them by their deeds.

[Populist_Prole]

2. Heh heh. That was my first thought

I guess they'll, for the time being, also tone down the pro-trade agreements rhetoric as well.

Cynics are made, not born...and so like you, I'm a bit jaded when it comes to ( ostensibly ) good "news" like this.

[Shemp Howard]

3. Talk is cheap.

I need ask the Labor Secretary (or any politician) only one question: Are you for or against the so-called free-trade agreements?

Because these agreements WILL destroy the unions, and so WILL also destroy the middle class. It's just that simple.