For workers, everything is on the line in the November election
Working people recognize the high stakes in the 2016
presidential election.
On one side, you have Donald Trump, who supports "right to
work," which takes away power from working people, and thinks your wages
are too high.
On the other side, you have Hillary Clinton, who has a long
history of advocating for families and working people.
She believes that paid
family leave, earned sick days, fair schedules, equal pay for women and quality
affordable child care are critical, as well as the right to come together in
union and negotiate for a better life.
Here are 10 ways Clinton stands with working people:
2. On Unemployment Benefits: Clinton was there for
New Yorkers during the economic downturn of 2008. She co-authored and fought
for legislation to extend the unemployment benefits program, which provided
much-needed economic support to working families.
3. On Sending Jobs Overseas: Clinton and more than 20
other senators sent a letter to President George Bush calling him to reject a
Council of Economic Advisers report saying that the exporting of jobs overseas
could be beneficial to the economy. She introduced a resolution calling on the
Senate to oppose any efforts to outsource jobs.
4. On Manufacturing: Clinton worked on a
bipartisan Senate Manufacturing Caucus to confront the problems facing domestic
manufacturers and the working people that hold those jobs.
5. On Working Families Legislation: Clinton supports
the Employee Free Choice Act and the Employee Right to Choose Act, and she
voted against the Central American Free Trade Agreement. She also supported
Department of Labor employees in maintaining the Workforce Investment Act
program and the Wagner-Peyser Act.
6. On Collective Bargaining: While serving in the
Senate, Clinton assisted working people in unions in negotiating new contracts,
including the IBEW (National Grid/Niagara Mohawk), RWDSU/UNITE HERE (Duane
Reade), SMART (United Technologies/Carrier), RWDSU (Oak Hollow/Crest Hall
nursing homes), Building Trades (Lafarge), IUE-CWA (Caldwell Manufacturing) and
LIUNA (Department of Labor).
7. On Working People at Ground Zero: Clinton helped
secure significant funding for New York and to workers impacted by the 9/11
terrorist attacks. She fought for millions of dollars in medical monitoring
funds to help workers at Ground Zero and for assistance to affected families
and laid-off workers.
8. On Plum Island/Operating Engineers Strike:
For two years, members at Plum Island were on strike and Clinton fought
tirelessly alongside them for those two years. Together, they were successful
in kicking out a bad contractor and getting our brothers and sisters back to
work.
9. On Fulton Plant Closure: When corporate CEOs
close manufacturing plants, they are not worried about the impact this has on
the working people and communities that have supported these plants for years.
However, Clinton has shown time and again that she is committed to working
families and communities during those difficult times. In fact, when the Nestle
plant closed in 2004, Clinton called Nestle Cor. executives to push them to
keep the plant open. Although profit trumped people and the plant closed,
Clinton was able to secure Trade Adjustment Assistance funding for working
people impacted by the plant closure.
10. On Trade/China: As senator, Clinton intervened with
the Bush administration to protect jobs when they were threatened by Chinese
trade barriers.