Marta Russell
Doug Henwood wrote:
> [Is this payback for all the get-out-the-vote work?]
>
> Delivered-By-The-Graces-Of: White House Electronic Publications
> Precedence: Bulk
> To: Public-Distribution at pub.pub.whitehouse.gov
> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 07:42 -0500
> From: The White House <Publications-Admin at pub.pub.whitehouse.gov>
> Reply-To: Publications at pub.pub.whitehouse.gov
> Subject: 1998-10-06 Clinton-Gore Administration Labor Accomplishments
> Keywords: Business, Civil-Rights, Economy, Education, Fact-Sheet,
> Fiscal-Policy,
> Government, Healthcare, Labor, Legislation, Legislative-Process,
> Social, Social-Values, Staff-Report, Welfare
> Document-ID: pdi://oma.eop.gov.us/1998/11/6/10.text.1
> URL:
> http://www.pub.whitehouse.gov/uri-res/I2R?urn:pdi://oma.eop.gov.us/1998/11/6/10.
> text.1
>
> THE WHITE HOUSE
>
> Office of Communications
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> CLINTON-GORE ADMINISTRATION LABOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
>
> "The key to success in tomorrow's economy is people, and you cannot
> move into the 21st century by restoring the labor policies of the 19th
> century. I will oppose it, you will oppose it, and we will prevail."
>
> -- President Clinton, Remarks to the AFL-CIO Convention,
> 9/24/97
>
> Creating More Jobs and a Stronger Economy
>
> - 16.7 Million New Jobs Under President Clinton and Vice President
> Gore -- Since President Clinton took office, the economy has added
> 16.7 million new jobs -- more new jobs in 68 months than were
> created during the entire 96 months of the Reagan Administration
> (16.7 million under President Clinton vs. 16.0 million under
> President Reagan).
>
> - Fastest Real Wage Growth in More Than Two Decades -- Over the past
> year, average hourly earnings have risen 4.0 percent -- more than
> twice the rate of inflation. After adjusting for inflation, wages
> have increased 2.8 percent in the past 12 months -- the fastest real
> wage growth in more than two decades.
>
> - Unemployment Has Been Below 5 Percent For 15 Months In A Row. The
> unemployment rate has fallen from 7.5 percent in 1992 to 4.6 percent
> today (September 1998). And for the first time in 28 years, the
> unemployment rate has been below 5 percent for 15 months in a row.
>
> - Construction Jobs Are Coming Back -- Under President Clinton and Vice
> President Gore, construction and manufacturing jobs are coming back:
> after losing 662,000 jobs in construction during the previous four
> years, nearly 1.5 million new construction jobs have been added
> since January 1993 -- a faster annual rate than any other
> Administration since Harry S. Truman was President.
>
> - Manufacturing Jobs Are Up Under President Clinton -- After losing
> 2.1 million manufacturing jobs between 1981 and 1992, the economy
> has created 579,000 new manufacturing jobs since January 1993.
>
> - World Leader in Auto Production Four Years in a Row -- After losing
> 46,000 jobs in the auto industry during the Bush years, 151,000 new
> auto jobs have been created during the Clinton-Gore Administration.
> And for the first time since the 1970s, America has led the world in
> auto production for four years in a row.
>
> - Highest Home Ownership Rate in History -- there are more than 6.5
> million new homeowners since the President took office.
>
> - Balanced the Federal Budget -- in 1992, the budget deficit was $290
> billion, a record dollar high. This year, the budget will be in
> surplus for the first time in 30 years.
>
> Creating Better Jobs
>
> - Increased the Minimum Wage from $4.25 to $5.15 per hour -- increasing
> wages for 10 million. For an average full-time minimum wage worker
> this amounts to a $1,800 raise. President Clinton also proposed an
> additional minimum wage increase in his 1998 State of the Union.
>
> - Saving Social Security First -- The President is committed to saving
> Social Security for the 21st Century. The President will fight any
> attempt to break the budget rules and drain the surplus. His
> commitment is unwavering: every penny of any future surplus must be
> reserved until a bipartisan plan to save Social Security is enacted.
>
> - Signed the Family and Medical Leave Act into law -- allowing workers
> to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for family members
> without fear of losing their jobs. Millions of workers have already
> benefited from FMLA since its enactment.
>
> - Fighting for Critical Education Investments -- maintaining his
> longtime commitment to education, the President enacted the largest
> investment in education in 30 years -- and the largest investment in
> higher education since the G.I. Bill -- by signing the 1997 Balanced
> Budget Act. This year, the President has called on Congress to pass
> critical education priorities included in his FY99 Budget that
> include initiatives to recruit quality teachers, rebuild crumbling
> schools and reduce class size.
>
> - Fighting for Paycheck Equity -- called on Congress to pass
> legislation to strengthen laws prohibiting wage discrimination.
>
> - Expanded Earned Income Tax Credit providing tax relief for 15 million
> working families.
>
> - $500 Per-Child Tax Credit --26 million families with 40 million
> children will receive the $500 per-child tax credit.l
>
> - Increasing Pension Security -- Fought for legislation that has
> expanded pension coverage, made pensions more secure for 40 million
> American workers and retirees, and simplified pension plan
> administration. Promoting new efforts to encourage retirement
> savings.
>
> - Signed the Bipartisan Workforce Investment Act --- reforming
> America's job training system for the 21st Century.
>
> - Opposed the creation of company unions.
>
> - Blocked efforts to undermine prevailing wage laws.
>
> - Revitalized enforcement at the Labor Department (Added more
> front-line enforcers).
>
> - Signed Hatch Act reform into law -- allowing federal civil servants
> to more actively participate in the political process.
>
> - Rescinded Reagan Administration Executive Order prohibiting the
> rehiring of PATCO strikers.
>
> - Enacted Single Largest Investment in Health Care for Children since
> 1965 providing health care coverage for up to five million children.
>
> - Fighting to Pass a Strong, Enforceable Patients' Bill of Rights --
> Called on Congress to pass a strong, enforceable patients' bill of
> rights that assures Americans the quality health care they need.
>
> - Signed Meaningful Health Insurance Reform which limits exclusions
> for pre-existing conditions, makes coverage portable and helps
> individuals who lose jobs maintain coverage.
>
> - Supported the comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health Reform
> Act and opposed efforts to the workplace less safe.
>
> Established Better Labor Relations
>
> - Appointed a National Labor Relations Board that is fair to workers
> and their unions for a change. And placed in all levels of
> government Presidential appointees who are dedicated to fighting for
> the issues that matter most to working men and women.
>
> - Issued an Executive Order prohibiting federal agencies from doing
> business with employers that permanently replace striking workers.
>
> - Supported anti-"striker replacement" legislation -- which would have
> prohibited companies from permanently replacing striking workers.
>
> - Preserving the collective bargaining process -- the Administration
> has played an activist role in helping to resolve tough disputes,
> bringing parties together to reach agreement. These collective
> bargaining disputes have included: Northwest Airlines, American
> Airlines, Long Island Rail Road, UPS, Teamster national trucking
> contract, Mineworkers and Bituminous Coal Operators Association.
>
> - Opposed Republican so-called "paycheck protection" measures -- which
> would have limited organized labor's political activity.
>
> - Created the National Partnership Council for Federal government
> unions.
>
> - Created the Task Force on Excellence in State and Local Government
> through Labor Management Cooperation for non-federal public workers.
>
> - Rescinded Bush Administration Executive Orders prohibiting pre-hire
> agreements on federal construction projects and requiring all
> government contractors to post a notice telling workers they have a
> right not to join a union. In sharp contrast, President Clinton
> authorized agencies to use Project Labor Agreements where they serve
> the best interests of the government and the people.