Obama builds foundation for growth

It’s not news that the unemploy- ment rate is still sky high, and that bank and Wall Street profits are too. Even if you try to ignore the depths of the economic recession inherited by the Obama administration, it’s easy to wonder what all the “hope” and “change” promised by candidate Obama has gotten us.

In fact, since President Obama took the oath of office nearly 16 months ago, he and his administra- tion have instituted numerous changes that are impacting our lives, our unions and our communities in very positive ways.

Economic stimulus and other good laws

One year after the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act—also known as the “stimulus”— approximately two million jobs have been created or saved thanks to the Act’s impact on hiring in the private sector, by local and state governments and by non-profits. Governors of all 50 states and local officials from over 130 jurisdictions—both Democrats and Republicans—have acknowl- edged the critical role that the Recovery Act has played in preventing teacher layoffs and avoiding tax increases.

Almost 20 million Americans have gotten extended unemployment benefits, and more than 95 percent of working families have had their taxes cut. Jobs have been created thanks to tens of thousands of projects now underway nationwide. The govern- ment is making major investments in high speed rail, health technology, broadband, a smarter electrical grid, clean cars and batteries, and renew- able energy.

In other legislation, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill that Obama signed into law, will help end pay discrimination against women by expanding the rights of workers to sue employers over wage discrimination claims.

President Obama’s sweeping health care reform bill establishes health care coverage as a right for all Americans. It expands coverage to 32 million more Americans while simul- taneously reducing the deficit by $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years. It also makes illegal many of the health insurance industry’s worst tactics for making more profit at the cost of peo- ple’s health, including denying cover- age for people with pre-existing con- ditions. (See Health care reform bill brings big changes for how the health care reform package will impact you, as a Teamster.)

Reversing the ban signed by President Bush, the president signed an executive order allowing the use of Project Labor Agreements for federal construction projects. These agree- ments help level the playing field between union and non-union con- tractors and ensure that projects are completed on time and on budget. He also signed a bill that called for the nondisplacement of qualified workers under service contracts. Now, if man- agement and corporations lose a con- tract to service a federal facility, the workers must be able to keep their jobs.

Foxes no longer guard the henhouses

Over at the Department of Labor, the President put together a team ofpeople to run the agency who care about the rights of workers. From Secretary Hilda Solis, who immediately announced upon being sworn in that “a new sheriff was in town,” to Patricia Smith, the Solicitor of Labor, who was the New York State Commissioner of Labor and served as Chief of the Labor Bureau responsible for carrying out New York’s labor laws. For the first time in eight years, those running govern- ment agencies actually care about the missions of those agencies.

Under the Bush Administration, corporate officials and management representatives headed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Today, MSHA is headed up by Joe Main, who began work in the mines when he was 19 and eventually became director of the Safety and Health Department of the United Mine Workers union. And occupa- tional safety and health expert and epidemiologist David Michaels was named OSHA administrator.

Both OSHA and MSHA suffered drastic cuts in budget and personnel, especially in inspection and personnel, under the Bush administration. The Obama administration has restored those cuts and its FY 2011 budget includes some modest increases.

In late-March the National Labor Relations Board gained two labor- friendly members, lawyers Craig Becker and Mark Pearce. Republicans had held up their nominations for months until President Obama finally exercised his power to make appoint- ments while the Senate was in recess.

Change is taking shape

The economic recovery is begin- ning to take shape. Growth returned in the second half of 2009, in large part because the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helped fill the hole in the private sector left by the reces- sion. Nonfinancial corporate profits have risen handsomely since the end of 2008. Corporations are sitting on more cash than they have at any point in the past 45 years, and they are beginning to spend this money, at least in part, for investments and hiring. And the job market is inching toward positive growth with employment growing faster than the population for the past two months.

“This is just the start of a long process,” says Joint Council 7 President Rome Aloise. “Is there more that can be done? Absolutely. But it’s undeniable: this administration has done more for workers and their unions in its first 16 months than the previous gang did in eight years. We all need to remember that as we go to vote in June and November.”