Other Issues and News
The President's Labor Day Speach
In a Labor Day speech to union members in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 7th, President Obama spoke forcefully about rebuilding America’s economy and middle class and bringing greater “stability and security to every American” through a range of Administration initiatives, including the stimulus package and health care reform.
Click on the links below to view the President’s speech—be sure to see his shout-out to the Bricklayers in Part 1 (roughly 8 minutes into the 9:56-minute video).
Davis-Bacon Act
Enacted in 1931, the Davis-Bacon Act has been vital in protecting prevailing wages on federal projects in local areas and promoting high standards for the good of construction workers and their communities.
The White House
President Obama Revokes Bush Ban on PLAs
On February 6th, President Obama overturned an order by former President Bush, which, since 2001, had banned the use of project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects. Until 2001, project labor agreements had benefited communities, employers and workers by ensuring fair wages and benefits and on-time completion of projects for more than 70 years. For the full text of President Obama’s Executive Order on the “Use of Project Labor Agreements on Federal Construction Projects,” click here. A week earlier the President issued a series of orders, which, in effect, reasserted the rights of workers employed by federal contractors that had been weakened by several of Bush’s previous orders.
White House Launches Working Families Task Force
On January 30th, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were joined by members of Congress, the President’s economic team and labor leaders, including IU President John J. Flynn at the White House, where the President announced the creation of a new White House Task Force on Working Families aimed at rebuilding the American middle class. Flynn said, “Finally we have a President and Vice President who understand that middle class Americans are falling through the cracks and that we need to rebuild our economy with jobs, jobs, jobs.” Reports and materials related to the Task Force’s work, which will be chaired by Vice President Biden, will be posted on its website at www.astrongmiddleclass.gov.
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