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Labor to Bush: Good Riddance!

From: Dick Meister
Length: 00:03:51

The long struggle of working people against George Bush has finally ended. Read the full description.

Default-piece-image-2 With the departure of George Bush from the White House, as this commentary notes, working people and their unions have finally ended one of their toughest fights ever -- an eight-year struggle with the most virulently anti-labor president in American history. Bush and his appointees stripped union rights from millions of workers, diminished the rights of others, openly tried to seriously weaken unions, cut back enforcement of labor laws and regulations, reduced the pay, benefits and union and civil rights of millions of federal employees and others, Worst of all, the Bush administration seriously weakened the job safety laws, despite the alarming increase in work related deaths and serious injuries.

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Piece Description

With the departure of George Bush from the White House, as this commentary notes, working people and their unions have finally ended one of their toughest fights ever -- an eight-year struggle with the most virulently anti-labor president in American history. Bush and his appointees stripped union rights from millions of workers, diminished the rights of others, openly tried to seriously weaken unions, cut back enforcement of labor laws and regulations, reduced the pay, benefits and union and civil rights of millions of federal employees and others, Worst of all, the Bush administration seriously weakened the job safety laws, despite the alarming increase in work related deaths and serious injuries.

Broadcast History

None

Transcript

Finally, it’s over … the eight year struggle of working people and their unions against George Bush, the most anti-labor president in American history. The record of Bush’s anti-labor actions is downright staggering.

Consider, for example, Bush’s appointment of a notoriously anti-labor secretary of labor, Elaine Chao ,,, and his appointment of an anti- labor majority to run the National Labor Relations Board.

The Bush appointees have played a key role in taking away union rights from more than one million federal employees .. in cutting pay raises that had been granted them and most others on the government payroll … and in shifting thousands of unionized federal jobs to private non-union contractors.

The Bushies have increased the staff and budgets for investigating and auditing unions, while cutting the staff and budgets for investigating employer violations of labor standards … in...
Read the full transcript

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

Commentator Dick Meister says there's some very good news for working Americans.

OUTRO:

Dick Meister is a long-time labor journalist.