Trumka tells AFT: Stand together, march together, vote together

[Omaha Steve]

http://peoplesworld.org/trumka-tells-aft-stand-together-march-together-vote-together/

by: Tim Wheeler July 12 2010

SEATTLE - AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka was cheered by 3,000 union teachers and health care workers here July 10 with his scathing attack on Republican senators for blocking federal funds to extend unemployment compensation to millions of jobless workers. The $10 billion House-passed bill would also save the jobs of 300,000 schoolteachers. But it has been blocked repeatedly by 41 senators, a diehard minority consisting of all the Republicans, and so-called Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) and Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

Speaking at the American Federation of Teachers 81st convention, Trumka warned that the economic recovery is "sputtering to a halt" and the nation may slip back into a double dip recession.



"We need a jobs bill with the scope, and as serious, as the crisis we face," he said. "We absolutely must provide emergency aid to head off the layoff of 300,000 teachers and other public workers. We have to extend those unemployment benefits to unemployed workers in the worst economic crisis in years."

Every time the nation begins to dig itself out of the recession with 10.5 million jobless workers, Trumka added, deficit hawks jump up and demand, "What about those deficits?"

He retorted, "We don't have a short-term deficit problem in this country. We have a short-term jobs crisis that must be addressed immediately."

FULL story at link.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. He was awesome

Everyone is talking about Bill Gates, who followed Trumka that afternoon. But Gates sucked, and not only because he is a terrible public speaker.

Trumka rocked the house. He had the delegates on their feet cheering over and over. It was a truly great labor speech that really inspired us. I so wish I had taped it.

Trumka also asked us to come to DC to march on October 2nd. I noticed the NAACP (they are in KC this week for their convention) is also pushing this march in DC. I'm looking at plane tickets :)

[LunaSea]

2. transcript

http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?section=Article&page=1537