2y ago

Biden to reinstate labor rule shelved by Reagan, giving construction workers a pay boost

www.usatoday.com

In a nod to labor unions, President Joe Biden is moving to boost wages for construction workers on projects paid for with federal funding, a step that would appeal to a key constituency ahead of next year’s presidential election and potentially shrink the pay gap between northern and southern states.

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Reagan had a profound impact on reshaping the American dream.
What was once a foundation built on the idea of upward mobility for the poor and middle class has undergone a substantial transformation since the 80s. The emergence of an unregulated capitalist model has led to a widening wealth gap, with the affluent growing even wealthier while the middle class gradually fades.
Addressing the impending challenges, such as climate change, technological innovations, and social shifts, necessitates a strategic focus on bolstering the working class and supporting unions. These pillars are vital in fortifying our response to the multifaceted challenges that lie ahead.
- Trickle Down Economics and the "War on Drugs" make incredible lasting damage to this country. It's so unfortunate.
  
  And of course my grandma always used to tell me how great he was. Granted, by the time he was president, grandpa was nearing retirement so neither of them really had to deal with his bullshit in the same way most working class Americans had to. She was a sweet lady, but damn were her politics bad XD
  
  Imagine how many votes Biden would get if he just ended the fucking drug war...
  
  Don’t forget all the deregulation too.
- Reagan had a profound impact on ~~reshaping~~ killing the American dream.
The members of those same labor unions will "reward" Biden by voting for Trump. The number of workers in the trades who are blind MAGAts is astonishing.
This move will not change that.
And it doesn't help that Democrats will do nothing to sell this news to these people either. As always Democrats act like their accomplishments are like the 7 herbs and spices in the KFC recipe or the special formula for Coke... well hidden so no one finds out about it.
- Ok, but it's still a good thing, right?
  
  Yes, but ADVERTISE it. Sell your accomplishments because lord knows, no one else will. The news media has been actively attacking stuff that Biden has done while giving Trump one free-pass after another. The news media is not on our side. So if they won't celebrate Democratic wins, Democrats need to, and turn it into a big deal.
- I agree but don't blame dems that they can't penetrate the propaganda networks and social media spaces owned and dominated by right wingers--they are effectively closed loops at this point.
- You'll see a lot of Republican lawmakers take credit for this as well. I like that Biden is putting up signs for areas where the Infra law passed and made a difference.
  
  They did that with the infrastructure bill. Republicans were literally fighting it tooth-and-nail one day, and the very next day they were back in their home state taking credit for it. And this has been a common practice for them for decades now. And they always never get called-out on it by the media.
- It doesn't matter if it is a popular move. Only that it was the right move.
- It really sucks that Democratic policies tend to have a massive impact but take a long time to produce, while conservative policies have an equally huge impact but take no time to destroy everything.
- It wasn't Republicans that sent most of the union manufacturing jobs overseas.
  They can't sell it because voters are smarter than this, 'most pro union President ever' busting up union strikes doesn't pull a strong vote of confidence
  
  So you're saying CEOs aren't Republican?
  This link says that 70% of CEOs are Republican and CEOs have direct control over a company's labor force. Maximizing profits for shareholder profit is what CEOs do, and shipping jobs overseas is the easiest, and laziest, ways of doing that.
  https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/08/top-business-execs-more-polarized-than-nation-as-whole/#:~:text=Nearly%2070%20percent%20of%20America's,Harvard%20Business%20School%2C%20Vyacheslav%20Fos
  
  @K1nsey6 @Hazdaz
  Business Insider disagrees.
  https://www.businessinsider.com/what-happened-to-american-jobs-in-the-80s-2017-7?op=1
What's the over/under on how many of those construction workers will vote Republican in 2024 anyway? Somehow Democrats trying (often imperfectly) to help people gets them nothing but scorn, meanwhile a Republican platform that revolves entirely around taking things away from others is super popular with the blue collar crowd.
- will vote Republican in 2024 anyway
  That’s fine, I think they should be paid more, and unlike them my politics isn’t motivated primarily by ruining my political enemies
  
  I 100% agree that giving them fair wages shouldn't buy their vote. I'm disheartened that they will never question their vote for the party who took them away in the 80s and will do it again if they can.
  To clarify - I don't think self-interest should be the only deciding factor in a vote, but it should at least penetrate as a factor. Logically, some of these folks would go "wow, thanks Biden, maybe Dems aren't anti- middle class after all" - but in reality, I'm not holding my breath.
  
  It’s just an unfortunate state of affairs
- When they get this pay boost, their employer and whatever state they're working in will take credit. Democrats are terrible and messaging to it's almost certain that no one will ever tell them that Biden did it.
- It's not as bad as people think. There are large numbers of black and Latino construction workers who aren't on board with Republican politics at all. My union is nearly a third Latino and they tend to be some of the most involved in organizing and activism. Also worth saying that less than half of the white guys are conservatives.
  
  That's all well and good, but keep in mind that only ~11% or so of employees in the US are union. So I'm not sure how representative your experience is of the working population in general.
- A "manly" man looks after his family, and his community.
  Wanting rights, support and safety for fellow citizens is "manly"
- It’s sad that people have forgotten the democrats used to be the blue collar party. Trump v. Clinton really reshaped this.
The real question is: Why didn't Obama or Bill Clinton do this?
- Is that really the real question though? Seems like it is the "real question" if you want to continually push the "both sides" narrative, instead of actually acknowledging good policies when they are implemented.
  
  I trust Obama to do what is right. If he didn't do this over the course of 8 years, he had to have had a reason. We do NOT want to wind up like the MAGA-heads thinking anything that the president does has to be good, just because he is the one doing it.
Unpopular opinion: we should lower the deficit now when the interest rates are higher, before increasing wages to federal contractors
- Oh no, implementing useful policies for votes, how dare they do that in a democracy?
- I don't think how much his strike busting on the railroad workers cost him in terms of votes. If he had some that and then worked towards correcting it in any form, you know, like mandating at least a few of their demands into law it could have been forgiven. Instead, the essential cogs that keep the economy rolling have been told (again) to shut the hell up and get back to work.
  This election like many others in recent history is going to suck. I wouldn't be surprised if Biden loses due to low voter turnout.
  
  Looks to me like he is busting unions and then giving crumbs to a few workers, saying look here I support labor. And then busting more unions while he says it.
1980 was 40 years ago. Biden probably is unaware of this.
We need to get rid of these geriatric politicians.
- 1980 was 40 years ago. Biden probably is unaware of this.
  You mean he's younger than 40?
  We need to get rid of these geriatric politicians.
  40 is too old?
- Is there any context for you pointing out that 1980 was 43 years ago? I didn't see any mention of him claiming differently in the article.
  
  Yes

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