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Fire Trump, hire Biden

By Glenn Brackett - NH AFL-CIO President | Sep 7, 2020

Here in New Hampshire, labor punches above its weight.

From defeating right to work bills to helping flip both chambers of the state legislature, our unions have a track record of coming together and delivering for the working people of the Granite State.

But despite our successes, the deck is still stacked against us.

Organized labor has been under attack for a generation, and today, President Donald Trump has been blatantly hostile to labor. His Administration has diminished our right to safe working conditions, refused to raise the minimum wage, and tried to rip away healthcare from those who need it the most. At this minute, this Administration is undermining the United State Postal Service, destroying hundreds of thousands of good jobs, many of which are held by America’s Veterans.

Meanwhile, as we celebrate working people this Labor Day, we must recognize the urgency of securing a better future in the upcoming election.

And we can do that by coming together to elect Joe Biden.

For generations, the right to organize and bargain collectively has made middle class workers the backbone of the New Hampshire economy. But today, only 10.3% of our workers are protected by a union membership–compared to a national peak at 35% sixty years ago. We’ve shed nearly 7,000 manufacturing jobs just this year. Our minimum wage is an unlivable $7.25 per hour. And we have the 12th highest childcare costs in the nation and no state paid family leave policy.

It’s growing increasingly difficult to support a middle class life here in New Hampshire.

But the good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way–because a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for working families.

As a native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Joe knows that working people built this country, and that a good-paying job and pro-worker policies define a good American middle class life. That’s why he developed the Build Back Better plan, which will kickstart our economy to help us escape Trump’s recession. His plan would be completely funded by closing tax loopholes Trump prioritized for corporations and the wealthiest Americans and leveling the playing field for middle class workers.

Instead of tearing unions down, Joe will help build them back up stronger and protect the right to collectively bargain. He supports the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which incentivizes organizing and penalizes employers who interfere with union elections–and he’d go further by holding executives personally liable. He’ll reinstate the Obama-Biden Administration “persuader rule,” which requires employers and consultants to report communication with employees regarding anti-union campaigns. And he’ll fight for a living wage for New Hampshire’s lowest paid workers.

He’ll also invest $400 billion in American-made products and $300 billion into Research and Development programs to help American companies lead the world. This means that the breakthrough technologies of tomorrow, from autonomous vehicles to 5G networks to artificial intelligence, will be made in America–and here in New Hampshire.

Contrast that plan to Donald Trump, who has the worst jobs record of any president in a generation and has incentivized offshoring through his tax bill.

But Joe also knows that a good middle class life requires more than just a job.

That’s why he’ll protect and expand the Affordable Care Act to help more New Hampshire families get quality care for a lower price. He also has a comprehensive plan to overhaul caregiving in America and bring childcare into the 21st century. His proposal ensures access to high quality, affordable child care, expands access to Medicaid for home- and community-based services, establishes a fund for direct care services, and ensures universal preschool to all three- and four-year olds.

As working families suffer and struggle to stay afloat in Trump’s America, Joe Biden will provide the steady leadership and the voice for workers that we need in the White House.

But to send him there, Team Joe needs your help. Make sure you and your friends are registered to vote. Cast your ballot on November 3–or, if you’re voting absentee, make sure it gets delivered by November 3. And text JOE to 30330 if you want to get involved with the campaign.

This is the most important election of our lifetime–and the outcome is in the hands of working people.

Together, let’s fire Donald Trump and hire Joe Biden.

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