AFL-CIO’s Richard Trumka on Racism and Obama
AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer (now President) Richard Trumka blasts racism and underlines why workers should vote Obama in 2008. Excerpt of speech given at Steelworkers convention July 1, 2008, sponsored by USW President Leo Gerard. FABULOUS! Entire speech at www.usw.org Mr. Trumka formerly served as president of the United Mine Workers of America. UPDATE: On February 6, 2009 Mr. Trumka was appointed to The White House Economic Recovery Advisory Board, to be chaired by former Federal Reserve chairman Paul A. Volcker. UPDATE: On September 16, 2009 Mr. Trumka was elected to be the President of the AFL-CIO, the national labor federation. He made history when two women joined his team: Liz Shuler, former executive assistant to the Electrical Workers (IBEW) President, was elected as the Secretary-Treasurer, and AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker, was elected to continue on that position. IF THIS VIDEO WON’T LOAD CLICK: www.youtube.com
@TheForwardGaze Wake up!
@Jmgreen2010 July 1, 2008
when did this speech take place?
@Number1POTter Jobs are only cheaper overseas because unions are banned over there. Try organizing a union in China or Taiwan. Then you’ll understand why corporations move their businesses there. Let them unionize.
Your Obama just brought in place the Colombia Trade deal. You union people I can not understand. this Obama walks right over American workers
@fairmont66- what is ignorant is that most of the 90 per of the 13 per vote just bc of the (D) instead of the issues.
@qterback
maybe you should look up something before repeating fox news talking points.
Because black people have been voting at least 90% democratic since the 60′s. Look it up before you spew ignorance.
not the truth 13% of america is black so how did he get elected if whites are so racist yet 95% of blacks voted because he is black? who is the racist? 5 out of 4 people do not know there math.
@5:25, bullshit! The IWW was!
@playone4me aint that the truth, watch harlan county usa
Ok let the suit and tie guy kill ya UNION ALL THE WAY
Obama didn’t get the EFCA passed. He didn’t end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He hasn’t invested in alternative energy in any substantial way. He has been just as corporate as Bush.
@FFFFbody What does job importance have to do with unionization? People like you are the problem in this world. Unionization happened because employers were killing workers with unsafe work conditions, paying them slave wages, etc. Do you think if the unions were gone we wouldn’t return to those practices? The CEOs of today do everything short of JUST THAT and you’re probably ok with THAT.
@cameo9876 Well I know what their “interests” are: a fat salary and fat pensions. The problem is government workers are making more than ppl in the private sector now and that’s a problem. The other problem is govt. has no money except tax-payer money. If ppl in the private sector make less than in the govt. sector, it unsustainable. Then I see govt. union jerks demanding a pay raise in this economy while people in the private sector lose jobs.
@FFFFbody If workers couldn’t join together to protect their interests, there would be even less demand in the economy then there is now. The middle class would continue its contraction….
This is a great book on the shrinking middle class:
Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class — And What We Can Do About It by Thom Hartmann
Not sure what you are asking re: “important” public workers and unions. Yes they are important, and yes, they need a union.
@cameo9876 Their are way too many unionized workers- and I believe their should be less of them. If cops, firefighters, federal workers, teachers etc; jobs are so “important”, why do they need to unionize?
@fedgery771 Corporate power needs organized resistance. As to relevance, ask workers who rely on their union for economic protection from exploitation how they feel…. (and not people paid to troll the internet to union-bash….)
Obama “worshiped” at a tax exempt democrat rally disguised as a Sunday service
Uh yea sos from repubtards that the unions destroyed american jobs, But they never say the bushy polocies let all these american companys re-locate to commie countrys for the cheap labor and it all started with thier GOP god, RONNIE RAYGUN back in the 80,s, TRUMPKA for POTUS in 2012, This dude worked in coal mines not a rich boy country club, Suck on that repubtards!
@Number1POTter Unions helped American workers gain a semblance of a decent living standard, you idiot. What destroyed American jobs was globalization and free-trade agreements that allowed US businesses to outsource work into the third-world. Asshats like yourself don’t realize that we cannot compete with the third-world for the affections of our corporate masters unless we whore ourselves out like the third-world does. That is why we need to trade on our own terms and not under some agreement.
@JTCares
We will teach your children in your schools with our books. We will disguise ourselves as Democrats. We will? embrace all the arguments of your opponents. And, we will organize? your uneducated? workers. That is how? we will turn this country into the greatest Socialist country in the world. Defeat Evil? Freedom Loving Capitalist NOW!
@YouzTube99 Amen. And duly noted….
Can you link us to some evidence specific to Trumka that substantiates your accusations?
@pdon297402 Trumka is an ignorant fascist scumbag who is SO full of it . Unions are a bunch of lazy idiots who suck off the government tit and want somethimg for nothing. Destroy them all
@cameo9876: Note the lack of response from 85Pats. No facts, just . . . name-calling.
Trumka is an interesting mix of good old fashioned union leadership and modern sensibility.