America Needs Policies That Bring Balance, Fairness And Equality

Change to Win Challenges Democratic Party To Implement The American Dream Platform

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, August 1, 2008

CONTACT: Greg Denier
Noreen Nielsen
202-721-0660

CLEVELAND, OHIO – Change to Win leader and International Vice-President of the United Food and Commercial Workers Geralyn Lutty addressed the Democratic Party’s Platform Drafting Committee today at a hearing in Cleveland, Ohio. During the hearing, Lutty highlighted the issues most important to working families during this election cycle. Below is a brief statement.

“The Democratic Party Platform must be a platform for restoring the American Dream for America’s workers. The next president and Congress must promote policies that renew the Dream, and provide an infrastructure of opportunity so all Americans, through their effort and hard work, can achieve the Dream.

“America’s workers face an economic squeeze with rising prices, fewer jobs and a financial crisis. Unrestrained, unregulated and greed-driven economics have produced the crisis we face today. There is too much power and too much wealth in too few hands. We need to implement policies that bring balance, fairness and equality to the economy and the workplace.

“Workers must have the free choice to form unions at work because workers with a voice in their wages, benefits and conditions can turn the jobs of the new American economy into the good jobs of the future. We must make quality, affordable health care available for all Americans and government must play a positive role in reforming our current system so it works for everyone. And we must preserve our Social Security system and protect existing pension plans while also creating new kinds of retirement plans that ensure economic security.

“America needs a new ‘fair trade’ model that places good jobs for American workers at the core of any agreement, and ensures that the benefits of trade are shared with workers around the world, not just corporate CEOs and investors.

“Workplace fairness and the protection of basic legal rights of workers must be restored. From crane collapses to sugar dust explosions, too many workers are unnecessarily putting their lives in danger by simply going to work due to underfunding and lackluster oversight at the Occupational, Safety and Health Administration. We must enact reforms that expand workers’ rights. We also need comprehensive immigration reform that stops the exploitation of workers and allows a path to legalization.

“Lastly, we must build a green America. From retrofitting buildings, to developing new energy sources, to building transit systems to constructing sewage plants – we have an opportunity and obligation for public as well as private investment in a green America. Workers in America will make their investment by developing the skills and learning the jobs that will create a green America. We just need the chance and we need government to lead.

“Americans want sound economic policies that promote worker prosperity. The American Dream is that sound economic policy.”

Change to Win members Linda Graham of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania and Ken Brown of UFCW Local 880 will also address the Democratic Platform Drafting Committee at the “Listening to America” session on Saturday, August 2 at 10:00 a.m. CT. Experts and workers from more than 1,300 community platform meetings will discuss local economic and health care concerns with committee members.

** Note: Media representatives interested in scheduling an interview with Change to Win leader Geralyn Lutty or our members should contact Noreen Nielsen at Noreen.nielsen@changetowin.org. Geralyn Lutty’s full remarks are available.**

This web page is paid for by the Change to Win Committee for the American Dream and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.