Soviet Union?
Posted on 01/30/2009 9:52:24 AM PST by Schnucki
President Barack Obama warmly welcomed trade union leaders into the White House as he reversed restrictions on organised labour set up by the Bush administration.
Promising to "level the playing field" for workers, he offered the most pro-union sentiments heard from a US president for many years.
"I do not view the labour movement as part of the problem. To me, it's part of the solution," said Mr Obama, who was accused of being a Socialist by the Republican Right during the election campaign.
He was speaking at the launch of a Task Force for Middle Class and Working Families that will be led by Joe Biden, the US Vice President.
Mr Biden said: "For too many years we have had White House that has failed to put the middle class front and centre of economic policy."
Mr Obama praised American workers as "the most productive in the world" but said working families were being hit hardest by a crisis not of their making.
Tens of thousands have been laid off this week as the economy has gone from bad to worse. Friday brought more bad news, as it was revealed the US economy shrank at a 3.8 per cent pace at the end of 2008, the worst showing in a generation.
"It's like the American dream in reverse," said Mr Obama, adding that he disagreed sharply with the "policies towards organised labour that we have seen these last eight years" of the Bush administration.
The president signed three executive orders related to employment by the federal government which are likely to be only the beginning of a rise in union strength.
One will prevent federal contractors from being reimbursed for expenses intended to influence workers' decisions to form unions or engage in collective bargaining. Another requires contractors at federal
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Leveling the playing field means allowing non-union workers to compete for the same jobs equally, and to protect non-union workers and their employers from harrassment, threats, thuggery, and violence.
It means a company is able to fire an unproductive, disruptive employee without threats.
Anything other than that, and the field is NOT LEVEL. I hate socialists, I really do.
“It’s like the American dream in reverse,”
Dude, that’s like, profound. (Loud sucking sound of weed being inhaled.)
The Thug in Chief welcoming the Master Thugs of labor. This had to be a real gaggle flog slobber fest.
Soviet Union?
“I do not view the labour movement as part of the problem. To me, it’s part of the solution,” said Mr Obama, who was accused of being a Socialist by the Republican Right during the election campaign.’
Our new President is a economic idiot, folks.
One more time, Thanks for Nothing, John McCain.
Putting Biden in charge of changing the middle class into the proletariat should make things much better.
Headline should read, “Union leaders shake the hand that bailed them out.”
The Bush-bashing done from the White House will begin to get old. Sooner or later there will be a backlash.
I don’t think obama can spend much more time trying to remove all things Bush (just as a dictator does) from our collective memory. Making no bones about it, either.
Just wait until these “wheels” hit the road!
American industry and business will wind up in the muddy ditch.
You really think it will get old? Hell - it’s beyond fashionable in America...and the world.
He’s not an idiot - he’s diabolical. The newspeak drips of his intent.
Perhaps not.
You are right, I must have had a brain fart :-)
Yeah well, I work for GM...until April (management) got laid off today-effective April 1st...too bad the leveling the playing field means screwing America.
Turns out, the vote was that evening, and Daddy got up in front of the group, told them what the thugs had done, and let them decide for themselves, if they wanted to be represented by the Union. The vote wasn't even close. ;o)
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