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For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Bridges-Curry (202) 637-5212
AFL-CIO Celebrates International Women’s Day
Pledges ongoing support for working women as fight to create jobs continues
March 8 – More than 100 years since the first celebration of International Women’s Day, the AFL-CIO today honors the improvements made for working women over the past century. But today also serves as a reminder of just how far we still have to go to achieve equal pay, rights, and respect for working women, both here in the U.S. and around the globe.
The AFL-CIO has a history of advocating for working women—most recently, signing on to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Global Union Federations’ Global Campaign for Decent Work, Decent Life for Women in 2008. "The AFL-CIO has a long-standing commitment to gender equality in the workplace," AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler said. "And today we're reaffirming that commitment, standing firm with workers around the world to call for a more equitable and inclusive future for women."
In the U.S., women’s presence in the workforce and in labor unions is still on the rise. Women now make up nearly half of union members and over half of the total workforce, but remain disadvantaged relative to men in the vast majority of labor markets, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO).
In addition to higher poverty rates and the ongoing prevalence of sexual and domestic violence, the United Nations reports that women earn between 30 and 40 percent less pay than men for equivalent work. And in the wake of the financial collapse, women in the U.S. are shouldering the added burdens of sky-high unemployment, rampant foreclosures, and inadequate access to health care.
It’s clear that the jobs crisis is a crisis for working women. But like the women who marched in New York City over 100 years ago for shorter working hours, better pay, an end to child labor, and the vote, women today are fighting back. As labor readies for a massive campaign to create the jobs our country desperately needs, the AFL-CIO is proud to stand with them in that fight.
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For Immediate Release
STATEMENT BY AFL-CIO PRESIDENT RICHARD TRUMKA ON THE CREATION OF THE DEFICIT COMMISSION February 18, 2010
The most important issue facing working families today is a jobs crisis of historic proportions and a demand deficit. Long-term budget deficits are a problem that needs to be solved, but we do not have a short-term budget deficit problem. And we should avoid taking hasty actions now that will end up actually worsening our long-term deficit.
According to data from the Congressional Budget Office, most of the deficit over the next ten years results from Bush’s tax cuts for the rich, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, spiraling health care costs and the worst recession since the Great Depression. The main driver of the recent increases in deficit projections is worsening economic conditions -- in short, the present deficit “crisis” is largely a symptom of the jobs crisis.
The best way to fix the deficit is to create 10 million jobs now -- the number of jobs needed to close our jobs deficit. This will require large amounts of public investment in the short term, which should be paid for in future years by taxing Wall Street. In addition to creating jobs for Main Street this tax will also curb short-term
speculation and other Wall Street abuses that caused this recession.
The problem with perennial proposals for entitlement commissions and deficit commissions is that they are too often premised on the mistaken assumption that short-term stimulus and entitlement spending are the root causes of burgeoning budget deficits.
Social Security is fundamentally sound and does not contribute meaningfully to our long-term deficit. If Social Security were a private pension plan, it would be considered healthy by any measure.
Social Security can be brought into long-term actuarial balance with relatively modest adjustments and without cutting benefits. With the decline of defined benefit pensions, the sudden loss of retirement savings for millions and the dramatic increase in economic uncertainty, strengthening Social Security's core guarantee of retiring with dignity is now more important than ever.
Problems with Medicare financing in the long term are a symptom of the larger problem of rising health care costs in the private and public sectors. The solution to Medicare’s financing problems is comprehensive health care reform, not benefit cuts.
In December, when the deficit commission completes its deliberations, Congress should not merely rubberstamp its recommendations.
Legislation of the magnitude likely to be proposed should be considered under the regular congressional process. We are under no illusion that Congress always works perfectly, but lawmakers from both parties need to step up responsibly and make thoughtful and deliberate decisions on these issues.
Under no circumstances should deficit alarmists be allowed to circumvent the regular democratic process to advance their long- standing agenda of gutting Medicare and Social Security.
Commissions have been, and can be, serious and useful mechanisms to grapple with difficult problems. But the true test of this commission's success will be whether it helps fix our budget deficits by attacking the jobs deficit, or whether it makes our budget problems worse by sacrificing jobs and urgently needed long-term public investment.
Contact: Eddie Vale 202-637-5018
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, February 3, 2010.
Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the Citizens United Supreme Court Decision
January 21, 2010
Today, the Supreme Court further tilted the playing field in favor of business corporations in public elections. By allowing unlimited corporate treasury expenditures that explicitly support or oppose particular candidates, the Court has increased the already excessive influence that corporations exert in our electoral system. And we believe the Court wrongly treated corporate expenditures the same as union expenditures, contrary to the arguments we made in our brief in this case. Unions, unlike businesses, are democratically-controlled, nonprofit membership organizations representing working men and women across the country, and their independent speech should accordingly be given greater protection.
The AFL-CIO supports a system of campaign finance regulation that promotes democratic participation in elections by individuals and their associations; protects legitimate independent speech rights; offers public financing to candidates while firmly regulating contributions to them; and guarantees effective disclosure of who is paying for what.
For Information Call: (202) 637-5018
For Immediate Release Contact: Eddie Vale 202-637-5018
STATEMENT BY AFL-CIO PRESIDENT RICHARD TRUMKA ON
CONFIRMATION OF PATRICIA SMITH AS SOLICITOR OF LABOR
February 1, 2010
America’s workers congratulate Patricia Smith on her confirmation as Solicitor of Labor. At a time when working families are bearing the brunt of the economic recession and violations of workplace rights are rampant, Ms. Smith’s commitment to strong, fair and effective enforcement of our workplace laws is crucial.
Smith may well be the most qualified person ever to hold the position of Solicitor. Her 20 years of accomplishments have won her the unanimous support of the state’s congressional delegation—both Democrats and Republicans—and glowing letters of endorsement from business groups in New York State.
Under the leadership of Secretary Solis, the Department of Labor is returning to its historical and proper role – protecting the health, safety and welfare of working families. America’s workers are proud that Solicitor Smith will be joining this excellent team and continuing her years of public service on behalf of working men and women.
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