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Obama pays tribute to labor

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By Josh Sweigart, Staff Writer Updated 12:07 AM Tuesday, September 8, 2009

CINCINNATI — It meant a lot to Trenton resident Cody Agee that President Barack Obama came down to Cincinnati on Monday, Sept. 7, to speak at the annual AFL-CIO Labor Day picnic.

“It shows that he supports the labor movement, and it’s important to keep it going so we can have a strong middle class,” said the UFCW member.

This is the first time a sitting president has addressed the annual picnic, the largest of its kind in the nation. White House officials estimate roughly 10,000 tickets were distributed to the speech, though it was moved to the smaller PNC Pavilion from the park grounds because of rain, and many more attended the picnic.

Obama seized on the day’s theme, saying that a strong national labor movement is key to the country’s prosperity. “When labor is strong, America is strong,” he said. “When we all stand together, we all rise together.”

Obama mentioned the 40-hour work week, pensions, social security and other programs. “They all bear the union label,” he said.

“In good economic times and in bad, labor is not the problem. Labor is part of the solution,” he said.

Obama mentioned his appointment Monday of former union facilitator Ron Bloom as senior counselor for manufacturing policy, which some have dubbed another “czar.”

“As my new point person on manufacturing, he’s going to help us craft the policies that will create the next generation of great manufacturing jobs and ensure American competitiveness in the 21st century,” Obama said.

“I think he’s the right person at this time to be talking about manufacturing and job development,” said national AFL-CIO President John Sweeney about Bloom in an interview Monday morning.

On the federal stimulus plan, Obama said it has extended unemployment benefits to 570,000 Ohio citizens, extended loans to 1,000 Ohio small businesses and jump-started 200 highway projects across the state, including work on Interstate 75.

“Across America, we’ve saved the jobs of tens of thousands of state and local workers, including teachers and first responders right here in Ohio,” he said. “Don’t take my word for it. Ask folks here in Ohio what they would have done if we hadn’t passed the Recovery Act, the cuts they would have had to make, the taxes they would have had to raise.

“I’m living proof that the stimulus package he enacted is working,” said Charlie Dilbert, a Cincinnati resident who introduced Obama. He said the stimulus package extended his COBRA health insurance benefits and eventually employed him in a road project after he lost his job.

Butler County resident Tamara Sack called Obama’s speech “impressive.”

“I thought he had a cogent message for ... health care, for infusing our country and moving our economy forward,” she said.

Obama talked after speeches by labor organizers. “This is a unique moment in U.S. history, and we can make it labor’s moment,” said Richard Trumka, who will take over the AFL-CIO as president next week. He advocated health care reform and laws making it easier for unions to organize.

This followed remarks by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who referenced contentious outbursts by opponents of health care reform at lawmakers’ town hall meetings in recent weeks. “They’re not going to be successful in shutting down our effort to have health care (reform),” he said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 or jsweigart@coxohio.com.

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