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Labor's Edge Articles by Art Pulaski
2/9/12
New Mortgage Settlement Important Step in Holding Banks Accountable
by Art Pulaski
Not only are the big banks responsible for collapsing the housing market, their irresponsible actions led to millions of workers losing their jobs through no fault of their own. And just a few months ago, the banks thought they had a deal that would give them blanket immunity for all their wrongdoing in exchange for just pennies on the dollar for what they owe California families. That would have been a slap in the face to every California family who’s suffered because of the banks’ illegal actions.
Fortunately, our Attorney General, Kamala Harris, resisted that settlement and fought for a better deal for Californians. With the announcement today of the national Attorneys General mortgage settlement, we finally see a critical, real first step in holding the banks accountable for cratering our state’s economy.
1/25/12
Proposed Foreclosure Settlement Would Benefit Wall Street, Not Main Street
by Art Pulaski
This week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD) and the Big Banks teamed up to propose a multi-state settlement to address the foreclosure crisis. But based on the terms described in numerous media reports, the deal appears to be a settlement for the banks, not a settlement for the middle class. The people of California need real relief, not a quick settlement that lets the banks off the hook.
California is home to nine of the ten cities that were hardest hit by the foreclosure freefall. The two million working families we represent have been at the epicenter of this crisis. Millions have been devastated by the loss of their homes. Many more have watched their home values plummet and now nearly one in three California borrowers are underwater, owing more to the banks than their homes are worth. California has the second highest foreclosure rate in the country, surpassed only by Nevada.
1/18/12
California Labor Movement Shares Governor’s Commitment to Investing in State’s Future
by Art Pulaski
Gov. Jerry Brown put forth a vision for California today that working people can embrace. With today’s State of the State speech, it’s clear that the destructive slash-and-burn politics of the previous administration have been replaced with a forward-thinking vision to invest in our future. While our state’s 21st century challenges are many, the California Labor movement is confident we have a leader at the helm to guide us beyond those challenges.
Gov. Brown understands all too well that we can’t create jobs with stale ideas and cuts to investments that support healthy private sector growth. The Governor’s plan to upgrade our failing infrastructure isn’t optional if we hope to rise above the recession. It’s necessary to rebuilding our economy and putting Californians back to work. We simply can’t sustain a vibrant economy if we don’t invest in the infrastructure that supports it.
9/2/11
This Labor Day, Let’s Unite to Fight for the Middle Class
by Art Pulaski
There’s a threat to America’s economic future that’s so overlooked it’s gone almost unnoticed amid the endless debate over the debt ceiling and federal spending: massive income inequality.
This Labor Day, the gap that separates the very wealthy from the rest of us is as wide as it was in the Great Depression. Since the economic collapse of 2008, workers have suffered through joblessness, home foreclosures, reduced wages and benefits and a sustained assault on our right to collectively bargain. Did you notice that corporate profits are soaring and Wall Street bankers are receiving fatter bonuses than ever? And we wonder why our middle class is disappearing before our eyes.
4/21/11
Strong Unions Mean a Strong Work Force
by Art Pulaski
(this article originally appeared in the Riverside Press-Enterprise)
"Collective bargaining ... has played a major role in America's economic miracle. Unions represent some of the freest institutions in this land. There are few finer examples of participatory democracy to be found anywhere."
Those aren't the words of AFL-CIO leader Richard Trumka or President Obama. It may come as a surprise, but that's a quote from a 1981 speech given by Ronald Reagan.
To be sure, Reagan's relationship with unions was complicated, and, at times, quite contentious. But there's no question that he understood the value -- even necessity -- of collective bargaining. He remains the only president in history to have also served as the head of a union, the Screen Actors Guild.
3/7/11
Why Wisconsin Matters to ALL Workers
by Art Pulaski
I recall vividly my first union job. At the age of 16, I joined the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union as a supermarket clerk. I remember the good wages in my first paycheck and the sense of pride I felt when I received my first union card.
Back then, about a quarter of all private sector workers were union members. Collective bargaining allowed us a path to a better life. The standard of living rose, not just for those of us in a union, but even for those who weren’t. But today, too few workers have the right to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions. Years of assaults by corporations on the freedom to join unions have taken a terrible toll.
As the protests rage on over Gov. Scott Walker’s politically motivated attempt to strip Wisconsin’s public workers of collective bargaining, there’s too little discussion in the media about the decline in bargaining rights for private sector workers. Instead, opportunistic politicians like Walker have used the current economic crisis to help further their agenda to divide the middle class.
2/10/11
Time to End the Enterprise Zone Boondoggle
by Art Pulaski
When it comes to dealing with our state budget crisis, California voters are clear on one thing: Let’s eliminate wasteful spending. So you’d think the elimination of a failed program and billion-dollar boondoggle would be a no-brainer. Think again.
An annual billion-dollar giveaway to big, profitable corporations is bad enough. But when the program also fails in its goal of creating jobs, it’s time to say goodbye.
Yet, as soon as Gov. Jerry Brown announced his proposal to end the Enterprise Zone tax credit program, corporate lobbyists and consultants started clamoring to save their golden goose. In theory, there’s nothing wrong with tax credits for businesses to help create jobs. With unemployment hovering at 12.5%, we need all the help we can get. But, in practice, the Enterprise Zone program has failed miserably.
1/24/11
Time to Help Brown Stay True to His Call for Loyalty to the Community
by Art Pulaski
As I listened to Jerry Brown’s inauguration speech on Jan. 3, something he said struck a chord. “A Philosophy of Loyalty,” he called it. “Loyalty to the community that is larger than our individual needs.”
This is a concept that unionists share. It’s one of the fundamentals of our movement. But it’s a value under attack. Tune in to talk radio and you’ll hear a bombastic host inciting his audience against government. In the corporate world, the enduring loyalty is not to community, but to executive compensation.
Ideologues like Grover Norquist have also joined in the debate on California’s future, not by calling for unity, but by threatening legislators who would even consider allowing voters a say on whether revenue is part of the fix for our budget crisis.
9/5/10
Labor Day Kicks Off Final Push in Battle for the Soul of California
by Art Pulaski
This Labor Day, California is at a crossroads. We can either continue the economic race to the bottom – exacerbated by corporate policies and Gov. Schwarzenegger’s slash-and-burn budgets – or we can chart a new course to rebuild California from the bottom up. The heart of California’s economy, our workers, are struggling with near record unemployment, stagnating wages and devastating budget cuts that are eroding the California Dream.
This November, Californians have a critical choice to make about which direction our state should take to deal with the enormous challenges we face. This election is simply a battle for the soul of California.
In the race for Governor, the choices couldn’t be starker.
6/8/10
The Battle for California’s Future Begins Tonight
by Art Pulaski
The results of tonight's primaries set in motion a battle for the soul of California. It’s Main Street vs. Wall Street, with the winner having an opportunity to shape California’s future for decades to come.
After months of obscene campaign spending, billionaire CEO Meg Whitman will use her seemingly unlimited fortune to try to stage a hostile takeover of our state. She’s made clear that, if elected, she plans to bring a Wall Street agenda to California. Whitman’s economic philosophy, which she honed as a corporate executive and director in places like Goldman Sachs, is simple: What’s good for Wall Street and the wealthy is good for everyone. California families know all too well just how flawed that philosophy is.