AFL-CIO president: Union worker health care, wages 'under attack'
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the state of the economy, the midterm elections, the new trade deal with Mexico and Canada and the Supreme Court dealing a major blow to labor unions.
Union workers are motivated as ever before to find an economy that works for them, according to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.
“They’ve mobilized because they believe that this economy isn’t working for them and the political system isn’t working for them. They want an economy that really helps everybody,” he told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday. “They are motived like I haven’t seen in my 50 years in the labor movement.”
But U.S. employers added a better-than-expected 250,000 jobs in October, and unemployment remained at 3.7 percent, the lowest rate in nearly 50 years. Further, wages rose 3.1 percent -- the highest they’ve been since the Great Recession.
Additionally, bolstered by a robust stock market, a record number of investors who own stocks in retirement accounts became millionaires this year, according to Fidelity Investments.
But according to Trumka there’s “still a lot to be done” for America’s union who are still “under attack.”
“When your wages are flat, it doesn’t matter whether the stock market’s up. If somebody’s trying to take your pension away it doesn’t matter what someone else’s 401(K) has done,” said Trumka.
“Their wages are … flat. Their health care is under attack. Costs are rising -- $1,500 next year will be the increase in their premiums they are going to see. They are not able to afford that. Their pensions are being attacked. So for them this isn’t a real mecca,” he added.
President Trump made his final push for GOP votes in three states just hours before the critical midterm elections on Monday, touting his record on jobs and the economy.
At stake are all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate. Trumka said members are voting for Democrats and Republicans “who support worker issues.”