(audio) “I argue when I talk about Washington, DC; there’s a lobbyist for every special interest you can imagine and even then some.”
That’s union member and Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Mark Pocan, Congressman from Wisconsin. (audio) “There’s 1,500 lobbyists for the pharmaceutical industry alone. That’s three for every member of Congress and the Senate but there’s no one who comes out on behalf of working families, middle class families other than labor. Labor is the only voice that comes to Washington and says look; you’ve got to fight for people to have good family supporting wages because that’s what really people care about. They sit at their kitchen table at home; can they afford their mortgage or rent? Now do they have health insurance for their family? Can they take a family vacation that year? And when I grew up it was usually what’s that one luxury—the camper, the snow mobile, something but that was a good middle class existence and unfortunately that’s escaped through really losing some of the strength of the union movement. And I think the more that we give people that power, that voice back, the better off we’re able to address those inequality issues.” You can hear the rest of the interview with Congressman Mark Pocan on the State of the Unions podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts. On this week’s labor calendar, there’s a demonstration in support of Graduate Student Rights at 1 o’clock this afternoon at the National Labor Relations Board; also at 1 is this week’s edition of Your Rights At Work, here on WPFW 89.3FM. For complete details go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. In today’s labor history, on this date in 1881, trade unions formed the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Organizations, which later became the American Federation of Labor, or AFL. Under the leadership of Samuel Gompers and Peter McGuire, the AFL became the most influential labor organization in the nation. Today’s labor quote is by Leonora O’Reilly, a founding member of the Women’s Trade Union League, founded on this date in 1903. Leonora O’Reilly, who said: “You cannot or will not make laws for us; we must make laws for ourselves. We working women need the ballot for self-protection; that is all there is to it.” Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Are you planning to hit the road for the holidays? Union members can earn free rental days, upgrades and accessories when renting a car with Union Plus Car Rentals, which always includes a union member discount of up to 25% off. Visit unionplus.org/carrental.
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