Obama plans ambitious pro-worker agenda

The Employee Free Choice Act is a priority for workers anxious to level the playing field during union organizing campaigns and to see increased penalties for illegal firings of union supporters.

Fresh from a sweeping electoral victory, Barack Obama – the first Democratic presidential candidate to win more than 50 percent of the vote since Lyndon Johnson in 1964 – plans to hit the ground running this month.

Thanks to a nationwide grassroots effort by UAW members and progressive allies, Obama will take office with a strong working majority for progressive policies.

The new Congress took office Jan. 6, and Obama asked leaders to begin work right away on a massive economic stimulus package.

In a Dec. 6 radio address Obama outlined his plan to jump-start the U.S. economy, shattered by a deep recession and the global credit crunch. Unlike previous efforts, which focused on tax cuts for individuals, Obama plans an ambitious public works program projected to create up to 2.5 million jobs.

Key elements include investment in energy efficiency; roads, bridges and mass transit; upgrading public schools, and modernization of America’s health care system.

Due to the economic crisis, there is rare consensus among economists and policy-makers that preserving and creating jobs through public spending is a much higher priority than cutting the federal deficit.

Obama will also take the lead in crafting a long-term plan to assist the auto industry and rebuild the American manufacturing base. Environmental priorities will include broad measures to address climate change and increase fuel efficiency, and promote renewable energy sources.

Health care reform is also high on his agenda, with action expected to expand access to health care for children, families and senior citizens.

Passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), another priority, would level the playing field during union organizing campaigns by requiring an employer to recognize a union when a simple majority sign union cards.

It would also smooth the negotiating process, with mandatory arbitration for first contracts, and increase penalties for illegal firings of union supporters.

Obama has pledged to sign the EFCA, but pro-business Republicans threaten a filibuster. Employers like Wal-Mart and McDonald’s are waging an all-fronts war against the bill, fearing a spike in successful unionization drives if it passes.

Working families look forward to a reversal of the anti-union policies that compromised workers’ rights during the Bush administration.

Obama is expected to appoint qualified and fair-minded officials to the National Labor Relations Board and other key posts, as well as the federal courts – a welcome relief from the Bush years, when federal agencies were frequently run by people who didn’t believe they should exist in the first place.