What's Next for Labor?

The day after the election, Wall Street and the insurance industry celebrated. Technology stocks on the Bombay stock exchange rose in anticipation that pressures to stop outsourcing jobs from the U.S. to India would end. For the pharmaceutical companies, which contributed $26 million to President Bush’s campaign and the Republican Party according to the Wall Street Journal, the election results meant that Kerry’s plan to require the government to bargain with them over Medicare drug prices would disappear.

But for working people, the results were not cause for celebration. The outcome of this election means that working families and union members will have to work harder than ever to maintain their standard of living and right to join a union. It means that efforts to reign in health care cost will not be a priority, and that efforts to privatize Social Security will increase. It means that Davis-Bacon will come under attack – a law that ensures that construction workers on federal jobs are paid the “prevailing” or most common wage in the market where the construction is taking place, as well as benefits. Efforts to pass right-to-work laws – better known as right-to-work-for-less laws – will once again be on the legislative agenda, and safety will continue to be a low priority as it has been for the last four years.

“The next four years won’t be easy,” says BAC President John J. Flynn. “But we’ve been through difficult times before. We’re going to keep reminding the Administration that their job is to protect the country’s most valuable assets – its workers and their families. And we’re going to continue to raise those items with the Administration that were the top issues for BAC members this election year – jobs, the economy, and the war in Iraq.”

To stay informed about how the 2004 election is impacting your “bottom line” log on to BAC’s website at www.bacweb.org and click on “Legislative & Political.”