Local 1746-A Delegates with Rosa DeLauro and District 26 Delegates
The week of May 10, 2004 was a busy week in Washington D.C. for Scott Smith, Tony Whelan and Kevin Cusson attended the 2004 Legislative Conference and lobbied Congress for good paying jobs and workers' rights. The Conference was led by International President Tom Buffenbarger. GVP Bob Thayer, GVP Lynn Tucker along with many distinguished speakers and guests were in attendance.
Bill Jones, President of the United States Business & Industry Council, spoke on the jobs going out of the U.S. and how many businesses are against this, and how the Bush Administration has to start thinking of the workers of this country and do something to increase the middle class of America, not the Multi-National Corporations that are ruining the middle class in America.
Lobbying took a good portion of the week. The Overtime Takeaway was lobbied against. The Bush Administration's final overtime regulation is a shameful attempt to make it easier for employers to reclassify workers as exempt from overtime pay. This would mean that many workers, into the hundred thousands, currently getting overtime pay would be denied that extra hard earned money if this were to pass.
Another key issue lobbied that week was the 20 Presidential Helicopters presently made by Sikorski, a UTC company. President Bush wants to give that contract to the British for their support in Iraq. And to top it off, whoever wins that contract also gets 120+ Airforce Rescue Helicopters, it's a package deal. Think about that, our President and troops flying around in foreign made helicopters; work that could be taken away from American workers. As fight promoter Don King says, "Only in America!"
More of us need to get actively involved if there is ever going to be a change to the way the things are headed. There are websites out there that can help get you started. One simple thing everyone can do is send an email to your Representatives via the IAM Action Alerts. Just go to the IAM Home Page and click on the Action Alert Button or click on this link - IAM Action Alerts and here are a few more sites you may want to visit:
United States Business and Industry Council
USBIC's new Trade Alert Website
tradealert.org is now Economy in Crisis
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