tv Washington Journal Richard Trumka CSPAN August 5, 2021 2:08pm-2:35pm EDT
2:08 pm
there's a law that was passed that when the government comes into your area and spends tax dollars, they should not drive down wages. they are required on the project to pay the prevailing wage in the community. it varies from community to community, but it's a very part -- very important protection because we don't want our tax dollars to drive down wages in our communities. >> what else do you like and this pending legislation being drafted by publicans and -- drafted by republicans in the senate? >> we still have, president biden has provided jobs, but we still have a whole from the pandemic from a year or two before that. it will help us create jobs. in addition to that, it will bring things like rod brand to rural areas that have been left behind.
2:09 pm
it will help us with our schools , help us with transit, with root -- with roads, make the u.s. more competitive on the global market. it's a win-win situation for everyone. there's been a lot of talk about it, but it but -- but they haven't been able to get it done for the last several years. the u.s. is fallen further and further behind and the bill to fix that infrastructure keeps growing every day. >> this bipartisan agreement is around $1 trillion. president biden, democrats are saying they're going to push for about 3 trillion more after this gets passed. that could be done by reconciliation meaning they don't need 60 votes for those outside of washington. what do you want to see in that second package? >> when you talk about
2:10 pm
infrastructure, you are talking about the organizational structures that are necessary for us to run society. things like childcare are necessary to run society. things like eldercare are necessary to run society. all the other things stop infrastructure, things will be in the bill as well. the republicans have been unwilling to talk about those. in order for society to function, we have to have them in there. a lot of women right now are dropping out of the workforce because they can't find proper childcare or they can't find eldercare for their parents or elders they are taking care of. this would help with that. >> who in these negotiations, who is representing the union voice and how are you keeping abreast of negotiations? >> we do staff to staff plus we
2:11 pm
have communications with the senators, all 10 of them. the republican senators tended to talk to us a whole lot let that a whole lot less than the democratic side does. we talk about energy and how you are going to convert energy properly, a number of senators all understand the importance of things like prevailing wage or buy american because if we are going to have a big program like this and we don't buy american, we will be stimulating every other economy except our own. it is up to us to do those type of things. host: i want to invite our viewers to join in read you can do so. if your democrat dialing it at 202-748-8000. republicans 202-748-8001.
2:12 pm
independent 202-748-8002. you can text us 202-748-8003. that number also for union members today. it dialing at 202-748-8003. if you belong to a union. it speaking of union membership, it's down around 12% of workers a slight increase over 2019, but it's low. why is that? >> the labor laws in this country have been antiquated and they are designed to prevent unionization. let me go back a little bit so that your listeners know the full view. the international labor organization which is part of the organization. governments and employers. they have resolutions on the
2:13 pm
right to peacefully strike. all the industrialized countries adopted them except one frustrate -- except one country. when they examine our loss say there -- say that our loss are terribly lacking when it comes to international standards. our laws were adapted -- adopted over 100 years ago. some of them were designed in the jim crow error -- jim crow era. it was designed so that white workers did not have to belong to the same union as black workers. it's time that that relic in jim crow went by the wayside. -- it's time that that relic and jim crow went by the wayside. the proactive is the act we are talking about that has been passed twice by the house read it is supported by 65% of the
2:14 pm
american public, democratic republic and independent. it would rebalance the scales so that workers could meet with their employer as a collective group and get better wages and better working conditions and better retirement. that is sorely needed. when that happens, union membership will increase. m.i.t. did a study recently and they found out that 60 million workers say they would join a union today if given the opportunity. that is almost half of the american workforce. they want a union, but they can't get it because american labor laws and because of the culture of american corporations in resisting unionization. american corporations spent over a billion dollars a year threatening their employees, closed-door sessions where they barred them with lies and
2:15 pm
antiunion propaganda. they spend all of that money to stop unionization rather than spending that money to modernize or help give better benefits to employees. host: let's refresh the memories of our reviewers. you mentioned a couple of things. let's begin with the right to work laws. from the national conference of state legislatures, this means -- these laws guarantee no person can't be can put this compelled to going a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment. it can prohibit contracts that require the hiring of unionized workers only. this would give workers powers to override life work laws, prevents employers from interfering in unions elections. it enhances workers rights to support boycotts or strikes, facilitate selective bargaining agreements and motives for companies and executives that
2:16 pm
violate workers rights. what is happening on the state level? i know you are pushing for the proactive. what is happening on the state level? guest: we see multiple attacks on workers rights. whether they are public workers or private-sector workers. right to work says if majority of people of the union the rest of the people don't have to be union and we have to supply them with all of the benefits of the people that are union. it was designed to weaken unions and it was designed to allow white workers to not belong to the same union as black workers. that was the original intent whenever they put it in. it is still being used to divide workers, make us weaker and have less benefits. if the federal law is passed, it would preempt the state law. no state can do a law that is in conflict with the federal labor
2:17 pm
law. it is called federal preemption. host: chamber of commerce has been proactive of the chamber -- of the proactive. 70% concerned about abolishing state right to work protections. 50 7% belief workers should not be forced to join a union as a condition of employment. -- 57 percent believe workers should not be forced to join a union as a condition of employment. guest: when independent people have done poles, shows that 65% of the people report the proactive because they know something. corporations are too strong and workers are too weak. that's why your wages are not going up. that's why your benefits are going down. that's why you are losing things at the workplace. chamber of commerce represents corporations. they like it the way it is.
2:18 pm
they want corporations to stay stronger than you so your wages can never go up. or they can give you some crumbs off the end of the table. they are making record profits for the last three years paying virtually no taxes and our wages are flat. that's because corporations are too strong and workers are too weak. this would balance that out. it would give workers the power to come together as one, to negotiate with their employer for better wages, better health conditions on the job and better retirement benefits. i think that's what we need to do. the pro act is labor law reform and it's also a civil rights act because we write laws that protect people on the job whether, no matter where they come from. it's also a stimulus bill because union workers make higher wages and better benefits. they have more money in their
2:19 pm
pocket. so they can spend it. spending creates demand and demand creates jobs. it's a virtual cycle upward rather than what's going on now where they merge companies, hollow them out, caught your wages and we are spiraling downward. host: let's get the calls. eric in buffalo, new york. a union member. get money. caller: good morning. i'm local 41 electrician -- electrician union. the union has been the best thing that has ever happened to me which wages, health benefits, pension, and every person i talked to says i wish i got into a union at a younger age. free education. all around good program that gets a bad name. we have to be productive read we are very productive. right to work is wrong.
2:20 pm
just gives the wrong message. people don't understand the true meaning and purpose of the union. guest: eric, i couldn't agree with you more. i would like to amplify on a couple of things that you said. one of the best kept secrets in the country is education. others in the military, unions provide more education every year than any other group out there through our apprenticeship programs. we create the most skilled workers out there. because they are the most skilled workers, they can get a higher wage. employers complete -- employers compete. we outbid everybody in the industry because our workers are more competitive and more productive. we bring them back in every couple of years to retool them. to give them training on the new skills they need. by the way, his union has a thing called the code of
2:21 pm
excellence where they keep telling people how to get better, how to have better skills, how to be more productive. they drive that so that our employers are the most competitive out there. we can pay the best wages and give the best benefits. that educational component is extremely component -- is extremely important because we look to the future. we change our apprenticeship programs so that the ibew does solar work. that tremendous thing so it is a career and job security. host: homer in shreveport. democratic color. caller: i was -- democratic caller. caller: almost 50 years come about 49 years and i made a
2:22 pm
decent living all the way. some locals let me down, but that's no than there but i would do the union if i had did it all over again. i was a union worker ever since i got out of the service in 1966. unions, we need unions. thank you. guest: homer, i want to amplify what he said. while women get lower wages and the general economy, our union jobs, women don't get lower wages. they get equal pay. blacks don't get come up people of color though get discriminated against. they get equal pay for jobs they do. it really is a silver rights thing as well. we protect them, we end -- it is
2:23 pm
a civil-rights thing as well. we protect them. we end discrimination. that's one of the best things about the union. it's a civil-rights movement as well as labor movement. host: a text here from tony in florida who wants to know, said he keeps hearing that unions are mandating vaccines. do they support vaccine mandates? guest: yes we do. if you're coming back into the workplace, you have to know what is around you. first of all, if you come back in and you are not vaccinated everybody in your workplace is jeopardized. if we don't know if you've been vaccinated or not we can't make the proper accommodations to make sure that you are protected and everybody else is protected. the best thing that can happen
2:24 pm
is a vaccination so that we can prevent all these variants from going on. here's the next step. after we get everybody vaccinated in the united states, we are going to have to help people around the world get vaccinated so more and more and more variants don't start springing up and jeopardizing us and our economy so that we don't see another shut down like we saw last year when covid first hit. it's an important thing. the president has done a great job on covid. what we need to do now is get more people vaccinated and i think the mandate is a very acceptable way to do that. host: jason and baltimore wants to know, he says i am a union ironworker and i would like him to explain why he sold us out. how was the green new deal going to benefit anybody outside of
2:25 pm
the electrical unions. explain how steel can be produced using solar panels. explain how you can even make solar panels without stripmining. he should take this time to apologize to the pipeline workers and resign publicly. guest: i appreciate his point of view. unfortunately, the vast majority of our membership agrees with the positions we have taken. you should know i don't take these positions. these positions come from rank-and-file torah unions and our unions to our executive council. -- two hour -- to the unions and our unions to our executive council. you go from a high-paying carbon fuel energy job to a lower job.
2:26 pm
if those jobs are made union, we will increase them and they will become family supporting jobs. if they are not, they will be a lower standard of living for people who transition we are going to fight harder to make sure that does not happen. that has been one of the mainstays we have done. how do you make steel in the united states? farce -- first of all, you protect the steal from people who cheat like china. china cheats on steel and tries -- and drives people out of the work and undercuts the american market. we can compete anywhere in the world if the rules are fair. he fights to make sure those rules are fair and the competition is fair. that they don't subsidize their companies and don't steel onto the market at a lower price just to drive companies out of the market. we've done that. we are doing that. we help negotiate the u.s. and ca kansas and mexico. it's a camp stent -- it's a
2:27 pm
constant battle that we fight. i and by affiliates say that they want. host: republican line. caller: good morning. i really have to laugh listening to this. i have been working retail for over 30 years and i would never, i would not on a bet be a part of a union. they are the biggest ripoff artists in the world. my brother has worked in the food industry for over 30 years. i saw how whenever my brother needed the union, they were not there for him. all they are interested in is taking your dues and waving you out the door. when i see this guy sitting here talking about how unions are so necessary. just listening to him say climate change is real. climate change is a marxist hoax
2:28 pm
that this guy is pushing because he is a marxist. he gives hard-working union dues to liberal democratic candidates who squander the money. i let my work ethics peak for me. i never needed a union. -- i let my work ethic speak for me. i never needed a union. women get paid less in the workplace. i got paid more than a lot of people throughout my career because i had more experience and i did a superior job to what they did. that's why i get paid more. host: let's get a response. guest: look, workers do better when they stick together. workers provide higher wages to members whether you are black,
2:29 pm
brown, whether you are a woman. you get better benefits. you get more time off. you get more job security. you get a better retirement. the fact that you're focused on what you did is a good thing. i applaud you. it's a joke, you want to talk about a joke? you going up against amazon and thinking that you are going to move amazon is a joke. it takes people it takes people standing together to get better benefits. i chuckle because whenever there is a last resort, whenever you don't have an answer to the facts, you always resort to, he is a marxist. i don't even know what a marxist is, quite frankly. but i do know that corporations are too strong, workers are too
2:30 pm
weak. the only way to balance that scale is to change the labor law, to get people to come together so they can negotiate better benefits. that helps everyone, when we get higher wages in the get more money in our pockets. that creates demand. that demand crates jobs. host: dan is a democratic caller from wisconsin. and a union member. caller: ironworkers, joined in 1979. i worked for two years in a country, i got minimum wage and i started at four dollars an hour and i thought that was great. i joined a union, i'm making four times that. caller: i joined the union mock. -- i joined the union. my wages doubled.
2:31 pm
the biggest union buster that we ever had in the world, not only did he bust the unions and take away our advantage of building things on our own. he get to print illegal money. all we had to do was look to china for the rest of the couple of decades and this is where we are at. i just don't know where we are ever going to get it back again. the only way we are going to ever get it back again is to start evening the playing field a little bit. it is exactly right. companies have way too much power over the human condition. i used to live in the south of france 35 years ago. the only mistake i ever made as i came back to america. the europeans, they know how to treat their people. if we had all the ones that came to united states back-and-forth the way europe has, you would
2:32 pm
want to live like the europeans. they want to work hard. they enjoy life. they just don't want to get ripped up again. if america would ever experience that again, we would probably reshape. >> how host: host: much -- >> how much did you pay in union dues? caller: i graduated when interest rates were 20%, believe it or not. there was no call for the high wage of union because the economy wasn't given that opportunity. we've got a strong economy. some of the work -- some of the workers should probably pay more than i paid, but i tried it both ways and i thought i was on the right track until reagan came into the office. host: richard, you can respond.
2:33 pm
i want to know on average what are the average cost of dues for a union member? guest: it varies by union. each union has their own formula. they vote on that at a convention and set their dues. i can tell you this. whenever the amount is paid by union, the amount that they higher wages, better benefits and more time off greatly exceeds the amount of money you pay in dues. then you have, and right to work states you have people who pay no dues. they come to the union and demand to be represented at the same level as people who do pay their dues create the law says we are required to represent them. if there's anything unfair about america, that would be pretty unfair from everybody's point of view. the fact is union dues are in --
2:34 pm
are an investment. people there can have the organizations that they need, collective bargaining's that they need, people that represent them on the job whether it's in health and safety or grievance procedure. to protect their rights and make sure the employer lives up to the contract. host: what percentage goes to you and your office in washington? guest: its many skill. i haven't had a per capita increase since 2004. that's the last time the per capita was paid to me was increased. 2004. host: we thank you sir for your time this morning. guest: thanks for having me on. i really appreciate it. >> some sad. sums -- some sad, some horrible news about the passing of a right friend. rich
28 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
CSPAN Television Archive Television Archive News Search ServiceUploaded by TV Archive on