Thanks a Heap, You Bastards
Boy it really is outrage day today. Labor already knows it doesn't have a friend in the Republicans, but it sure got fist fucked by the Democratic Gang of 15 who sold out the part platform and paved the way for the further erosion of the American middle class by voting for the passage of CAFTA:
Consider the case of the port workers in El Salvador. Last December 34 workers were fired when they tried to form a union. Not only did the law not require their reinstatement (only severance pay), a month later the labor ministry denied the workers' registration petition because there were only seven workers left, not the 35 required by current law. (Both provisions have been criticized by State Department and ILO reports.) A CAFTA that does not seek to address these issues is bad for these individual workers, wrong for Central American nations desperately in need of a growing middle class, and unfair to both U.S. workers who should not compete with workers who are suppressed and to U.S. businesses in need of markets.Nancy Pelosi has never flown real high on my radar but she's really pissed and considering kicking the Gang of 15 off juicy committee appointments. Considering that the evil CAFTA was something both me and my Republican mother could both agree needed defeating, and the Democrats once again missed an opportunity to show the country they stood for something especially in the South where NAFTA is already a four letter word, I should say fucking so.
Sirota:
That's absolutely necessary - why should Democrats who undermine their party be given plum committee assignments over other, far more loyal and principled Democrats? Pelosi should be commended for her courage - and now she needs to back up her words with action.You can contact Nancy Pelosi here and let her know that you support her. If the Gang of 15 (5 of whom are from the DLC -- nice) need busy work I hope they can find something suitable. Personally I wouldn't trust 'em to clean up the dog poop in my back yard.
posted by Jane Hamsher @ 7/28/2005 09:43:00 PM
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