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Opinion Romney and Ryan: Anti-Union “Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now” B ERNIE F OSTER Founder/Publisher B OBBIE D ORE F OSTER Executive Editor T ED B ANKS Advertising Manager J ERRY F OSTER Account Executive L ISA L OVING News Editor H ELEN S ILVIS Multimedia Editor D AVID K IDD Graphic Designer M ONICA J. F OSTER Seattle Office Coordinator J ULIE K EEFE S USAN F RIED Photographers The Skanner Newspaper, established in October 1975, is a weekly publica- tion, published each Wednesday by IMM Publications Inc., 415 N. Killingsworth St., P.O. Box 5455, Portland, OR 97228. Telephone (503) 285-5555. E-mail: info@theskanner.com World Wide Web site: http://www.theskanner.com Fax: (503) 285-2900 The Skanner is a member of the National Newspaper Pub lishers Associ- ation and West Coast Black Pub lishers Association. All photos submitted become the property of The Skanner. We are not re - spon sible for lost or damaged photos either solicited or unsolicited. © 2012 The Skanner. ALL RIGHTS RE SERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION PROHIBITED. To see The Skanner News on your smart phone go to theskannermobile.com or scan this QR code with your app. • • • • • • • • Local news Opinions Jobs, Bids Sports Entertainment Music reviews Bulletin board RSS feeds L et’s be clear: The Republi- can ticket for the presidency – Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan – have their eyes set on elim- inating labor unions from the U.S. scene. No, they will not pass a law eliminating unions; they don’t need to. The existing labor laws are so weak that they make it diffi- cult for workers to join and form unions. Additionally, Romney andRyan would make sure to appoint individuals to the National Labor Relations Board and the Federal Labor Relations Authority who are eager to undermine unions. Further, they could just turn a blind eye to employer attacks on unions. Why? The answer is quite sim- ple. As opposed to the Republican Party of the early 1970s that con- tained notables who accepted the right of workers to join and form unions, the situation has changed dramatically. The Republican Party has become deeply hostile to workers having any organizations. They like to portray unions as being contrary to productivity and growth. Actually, the facts are a bit more complicated. If you look at the construction industry, for instance, unionized construction is both more productive and of high- er quality than non-union con- T RANS A FRICA Bill Fletcher Jr. struction. Repeated studies have demonstrated this. Nevertheless, working conditions be safe in order to protect the lives of the workforce, even if such protec- tions cost the employer a little bit. Unions demand that workers have retirement income so that the latter years of workers’ lives are not ones found in poverty, malnu- trition and poor health. Most of the world recognizes that these demands are basic human rights. Unfortunately, the Rom- ney/Ryan ticket looks at them as obstacles to profits. When you hear attacks on unions for being greedy, it is fair to ask: ”Are unions responsible for all of the wealth going to the upper 1 percent of the population?” people such as Romney and Ryan do not wish to let the facts stand in the way of their opinions. Fundamentally, Romney and Ryan see in unions an obstacle to their objectives of increasing wealth for those at the top. Unions demand that workers receive fair compensation for the work that they provide. Unions demand that So, when you hear attacks on unions by Romney and Ryan, and suggestions that unions somehow get in the way of growth, it is fair to ask: ”Whose growth?” When you hear attacks on unions for being greedy, it is fair to ask: ”Are unions responsible for all of the wealth going to the upper 1 per- cent of the population?” Blaming unions, as popular as this is in many Republican circles these days, has a very simple objective: to keep your eyes off of the prize, i.e., to keep you from focusing on who has the wealth and power. Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a Senior Scholar with the Institute for Poli- cy Studies, the immediate past president of TransAfrica Forum, the co-author of Solidarity Divid- ed and the author of the new book introducing readers to unions enti- tled “They’re Bankrupting Us” – And Twenty other myths about unions. Please send your news tips to info@theskanner.com Communities and Political Conventions F ar too often in modern elec- tions, sound bites trump sub- stance and voters are left wondering what the candidates really stand for. This is even more acute for issues important to the African American and civil rights communities. That is why, as we have done every presidential cycle for decades, the NAACP is travel- ing to the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention – to ensure that these issues are addressed by both major political parties. This year the Republican Party meets in Tampa, Florida August 27-30, and the Democratic Party meets in Charlotte, North Carolina September 4-6. These days, vot- ing on who will lead each party’s ticket is largely a formality. But the delegates do have another important objective: choosing their party’s policy platform for the next four years. The NAACP will pro- mote our policy objec- tives in Charlotte and Tampa at briefings, meetings and speeches. Each year we submit our policy recommendations to the respective policy bodies for each conven- tion. We also meet with delegates and leaders from both parties and seek to find common ground on the challenges, needs and concerns of the communities we serve. This year, for the first time, we will be guided by the five NAACP Game Changers. In the fall of 2011, the NAACP created a vision for the second century of the asso- ciation. We chose five game changers, or issue advocacy con- structs: Economic Sustainability; Education; Health; Public Safety and Criminal justice; and Voting Page 4 The Portland Skanner August 29, 2012 NAACP P RESIDENT CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous Rights and Political Participation. All of our policy goals fall under one of these con- structs. For Economic Sustainability, we will implore both parties to eliminate predatory lend- ing and assist struggling homeowners. On Educa- tion, we will call for increased funding for HBCU’s as well as finan- cial aid for college stu- dents. One of our focus areas for Health is full funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and education. And in order to achieve a fairer criminal justice system, we are calling for a national commission to review the That is why in Charlotte we will unveil our latest counterattack to voter suppression: rolling bill- boards that raise awareness about felony disenfranchisement. Felony disenfranchisement – In Charlotte, the NAACP Voting Rights Initiative will launch a bill- board campaign featuring faces of disenfranchised voters. The launch of the billboard will coincide with the launch of RestoreTheirVotes.org, a page dedicated to felony dis- enfranchisement data, policy briefs, and information on former offenders who have lost their vote and their voice. The billboard also marks the beginning of a felony disenfranchisement billboard and awareness cam- paign that will continue through 2013 in key states and the District of Columbia. As we approach November 6, our democracy is under attack from within. The NAACP is on the front line in every state of our union, and we will be visible dur- ing the convention as well. We will turn back the massive tide of voter suppression with an even greater tide of voter education, registration, activation and protec- tion. And we will promote our vision of a more just and equal America. In the past year, more states have passed more laws pushing more voters out of the ballot box than at any time since the rise of Jim Crow. denying formerly incarcerated cit- izens the right to vote – is a method of voter suppression that dates back before the Jim Crow Era. It was one of many tools used by state legislators to prevent full political par- ticipation by African Americans. Today, nearly six million voters are disenfranchised from felony disenfranchise- ment across 48 states and the District of Columbia, and more than one third of them are African American. We will turn back the massive tide of voter suppression with an even greater tide of voter education, registration, activation and protection. nation’s criminal justice laws – including the racial disparities in sentencing and racial profiling. The final piece of our policy agenda, Voting Rights and Politi- cal Representation, is particularly relevant this year. We are living through the greatest wave of leg- islative assaults on voting rights in more than a century. In the past year, more states have passed more laws pushing more voters out of the ballot box than at any time since the rise of Jim Crow. Benjamin Todd Jealous is Presi- dent and CEO of the NAACP What do you think? Post your comment on articles in The Skan- ner News at www.theskanner.com
