AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said Obama is a leader who reached out to workers and spoke to their economic concerns, and workers responded by getting behind Obama with strong support and volunteer efforts.
"We salute labor leaders and volunteers all across our country for a record turnout of voters from union households — they made the difference in critical states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and so many others," Sweeney said. "We congratulate Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Our prayers and our continuing support are with them as we begin the arduous task of turning our country around.
"Obama earned the trust of working families on the economy, and he proposed strong policies on crucial working family issues like health care, job creation, retirement security and the Employee Free Choice Act. He opposes the anti-worker policies of George W. Bush and John McCain on trade and taxes. Throughout the campaign, hes focused on those issues, not trivia and misleading attacks.
"Obama has stood with America\'s workers, whether marching on a picket line during the presidential primary or joining volunteers at a Labor 2008 phone bank as his final act of the campaign. Obama\'s success is a sign of what’s possible when a candidate speaks to workers’ concerns and pledges to fight with them, not against them."
AFSCME President Gerald McEntee, chair of the AFL-CIO Political Committee, said "It\'s a historic day in this country, and all of us in the union movement are rightfully proud of what we’ve helped to accomplish. With Obama and Biden in the White House, working families know they have allies who will work hard to turn around America."
Anna Burger, chair of the Change to Win labor federation, said working people clearly voted for change in electing Obama and Biden.
" This is our moment, and this election marks a new beginning for all Americans," Burger said. "We have the chance to put America on a new path – a path that will rebuild the middle class, fix our national health care system, give workers the freedom to join a union without intimidation, and create a financial system that works for Main Street, not just Wall Street.
"At its foundation, this is a victory for working people by working people. For working families, this election has always been about the economy, about health care, about rebuilding the middle class and renewing the American Dream for those who want nothing more but to provide the next generation with a better future."
This article includes reporting from the AFL-CIO news blog, http://blog.aflcio.org and the Change to Win website, www.changetowin.org
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AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said Obama is a leader who reached out to workers and spoke to their economic concerns, and workers responded by getting behind Obama with strong support and volunteer efforts.
"We salute labor leaders and volunteers all across our country for a record turnout of voters from union households — they made the difference in critical states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and so many others," Sweeney said. "We congratulate Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Our prayers and our continuing support are with them as we begin the arduous task of turning our country around.
"Obama earned the trust of working families on the economy, and he proposed strong policies on crucial working family issues like health care, job creation, retirement security and the Employee Free Choice Act. He opposes the anti-worker policies of George W. Bush and John McCain on trade and taxes. Throughout the campaign, hes focused on those issues, not trivia and misleading attacks.
"Obama has stood with America\’s workers, whether marching on a picket line during the presidential primary or joining volunteers at a Labor 2008 phone bank as his final act of the campaign. Obama\’s success is a sign of what’s possible when a candidate speaks to workers’ concerns and pledges to fight with them, not against them."
AFSCME President Gerald McEntee, chair of the AFL-CIO Political Committee, said "It\’s a historic day in this country, and all of us in the union movement are rightfully proud of what we’ve helped to accomplish. With Obama and Biden in the White House, working families know they have allies who will work hard to turn around America."
Anna Burger, chair of the Change to Win labor federation, said working people clearly voted for change in electing Obama and Biden.
" This is our moment, and this election marks a new beginning for all Americans," Burger said. "We have the chance to put America on a new path – a path that will rebuild the middle class, fix our national health care system, give workers the freedom to join a union without intimidation, and create a financial system that works for Main Street, not just Wall Street.
"At its foundation, this is a victory for working people by working people. For working families, this election has always been about the economy, about health care, about rebuilding the middle class and renewing the American Dream for those who want nothing more but to provide the next generation with a better future."
This article includes reporting from the AFL-CIO news blog, http://blog.aflcio.org and the Change to Win website, www.changetowin.org