Workers Grill Presidential Candidates

August 10, 2007

More than 17,000 workers gathered in Chicago’s Soldier Field Tuesday night for a candidate forum and grilled all seven Democratic Presidential contenders about what they would do for working families.

Among the questioners was Shirley Brown, a housekeeper and a member of the organizing committee at Resurrection Health Care – the second largest non-profit hospital system in the city. Workers there have been fighting for four years to form a union with Illinois Council 31.

Asked Brown, “What would you do to support our freedom to form unions?”

All the candidates replied that they support the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), the bill that would give workers the right to organize without employer harassment.

Darold Lowe of Madison, Wisc., chairman of AFSCME Retiree subchapter 52, was also in the crowd and said he was pleased with the candidates’ statements on health care and pension. “I’m worried about my children and grandchildren’s future and their well being,” Lowe says. “But I am very assured of the Democrats’ strong commitment to universal health care and retirement security.”

Pres. Gerald McEntee described the forum – which was broadcast live on MSNBC from the stadium – as “the biggest job interview ever.” Questions focused mainly on bread-and-butter issues, but topics like outsourcing, trade and the Iraq War were also addressed. All the candidates agreed that ending the war would free up more money for vital services and improve the nation’s roads and bridges.

Attendees included Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.), Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY), Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (Conn.), former Sen. John Edwards (NC), Rep. Dennis L. Kucinich (Ohio), Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Keith Olbermann, host of MSNBC’s “Countdown,” moderated the 90-minute debate.