Today, President Obama addressed the AFL-CIO at the largest Labor Day party in the country. The event, held annually at Coney Island in Cincinnati, hosts union members from all over the region. In his address, Obama spoke about the advances given to the common man by the labor movement. "So let us never forget: much of what we take for granted-the 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, health insurance, paid leave, pensions, Social Security, Medicare-they all bear the union label. It was the American worker-union men and women-who returned from World War II to make our economy the envy of the world. It was labor that helped build the largest middle class in history. So even if you're not a union member, every American owes something to America's labor movement."
President Obama went on to say that there was still work to be done in reference to EFCA, the Employee Free Choice Act, which makes it easier for workers to unionize, and health care reform. Both of these received rousing applause from the crowd of thousands. He went on to say that the time for talking was over and that now was the time for action. You can see the full video below.
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The AFL-CIO has made it very clear that it is demanding that a public option be in the proposed health care reform legislation that moves forward in Congress. They have openly said that they will encourage all of their voting members to vote against any representative in future elections if they do not support a public option in the health care reform bills. The ALF-CIO is one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington and is not afraid to throw their weight around when it feels that it is necessary.
Growing up in a union family, I have a special love for them. I have fond memories of attending UAW meetings with my dad as a little girl. He was a machinist for GE in the aircraft engine division. On Saturday morning, we would drive to the union hall for the meeting, and being a kid there, I was definitely not alone. Lots of people brought their kids to meetings, all the while teaching them what exactly the union was and what it stood for. I can remember going to those meetings with my dad and knowing that these people were getting together to do good things, to help the people they worked with, even if I didn't understand the ins and outs of the details as a kid.
There were Christmas parties where Santa gave the kids stockings and Easter parties where the Easter Bunny gave out baskets to all the kids. While I didn't understand what exactly the union did, I knew that being a part of it made my dad special. He was a union steward for years, helping to bring workers and management together to solve problems and disputes. He was respected among the guys he worked with and it showed.
I can also remember when the union went on strike. My dad went to work and walked the line in solidarity with his fellow union members. When I asked him why they were going on strike, he told me that it was because their contract was up and the company was trying to take away some of their benefits. Even as a kid, that just didn't seem right to me. The strike went of for 8 weeks. During that time, the union took care of it's own. That is what family does, after all.
Unions have been and are still incredibly valuable to the working class American. They will stick to their guns and, with their help and support, we can make real health care reform a reality instead of something else to go on the wish list.
The President Obama that we saw today is the candidate Obama that we voted for 9 short months ago. There was a pep in his step and fire in his voice. There was the charisma that we have been missing from the debate. Obama was moving, touching, and sincere. This was the Obama that we believed could bring change. At the end of the speech, he retold the story about his trip to Greenville when he was campaigning. There he learned the "fired up, ready to go" mantra that became so popular on the campaign trail. Today, for the first time in a long time, I am fired up and ready to go. With the help of the AFL-CIO, average Americans, and other civic minded citizens organizations, we can make real reform happen. This is the same Obama that I want to see in front of Congress on Wednesday night. If he shows up, I know we can get real, genuine reform passed and that will be good for all Americans.
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