NATIONAL
Obama’s State of the Union was ‘right message at right time’
(Jan. 21, 2015) — Following are statements by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Washington State Labor Council President Jeff Johnson regarding President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech Tuesday night.
RICHARD TRUMKA:
“So did his embrace of union apprentices and immigrants who want to achieve the American Dream. The president has again demonstrated his strong commitment to creating an economy that truly works for all working people.
“Fighting income inequality is one of the biggest challenges of our time. As Oxfam recently reminded us, the world’s wealth continues to be increasingly concentrated in the hands of a very few. If we are serious about solving this monumental challenge, the size of the solutions must meet the scale of the problem.
“Now is the time for politicians to champion a Raising Wages agenda that ties all the pieces of economic and social justice together. America has now heard what the president thinks about this agenda. We thank the president for his passion and his advocacy. We are ready to see what he and Congress will do about it. That is the ultimate standard of accountability.”
JEFF JOHNSON:
“The president said that not only were these the right things to do but they will strengthen our communities and our economy. But given the sour look on Republican House Speaker John Boehner’s face through much of the speech, unfortunately, I don’t think we should expect any thing other than more policies favorable to the 1% from Congress.”
Missed the speech? Here you go: